About the Organisation
For 40 years, 1625 Independent People has supported young people across Bristol and the surrounding area who are homeless or at risk — including care leavers, unaccompanied asylum seekers, and refugees.
The charity provides safe accommodation and specialist support to help young people build independent, healthy lives. This includes assistance with housing, wellbeing, life skills, education, employment, and training.
Each year, 1625 supports around 1,600 young people through:
- Prevention – Helping young people remain safely at home where possible, or supporting them into appropriate housing.
- Housing – Offering a variety of supported and refurbished accommodation options.
- Participation & Learning – Delivering activities that build confidence, skills, and engagement.
- Education, Employment & Training – Supporting access to meaningful education and work opportunities.
- Specialist Support – Tailored services for young people with complex needs, including trauma, mental health challenges, and refugee backgrounds.
- Move On – Developing innovative housing pathways, such as the nationally replicated Future Builders project.
Many of the young people supported by 1625 have experienced trauma. The organisation uses a non-judgemental, trauma-informed approach rooted in trust and positive relationships.
1625’s mission is to prevent homelessness, keep young people safe, and support them to thrive as independent adults.
Request details:
Woodleaze is 1625 Independent People’s supported housing scheme in Yate, designed for young people aged 16 to 25 who are leaving care or facing homelessness.
It offers safe, self-contained studio flats for 18 residents, along with shared spaces and an on-site support team to help young people develop independence and life skills.
1625 is seeking support to adapt the existing kitchen at Woodleaze, replacing the current commercial-style setup with a domestic-style, accessible kitchen.
Before its 2019/20 refurbishment, Woodleaze operated as a fully catered nursing home, complete with a large commercial kitchen and serving hatch. While the current space is spacious, it is not welcoming or suitable for informal, homely cooking activities. Many young people find it intimidating or overwhelming and avoid using it.
The charity also aims to improve accessibility. Although Woodleaze includes accessible flats and has housed wheelchair users, the current kitchen layout limits their ability to fully participate in cooking sessions.
Cooking activities have proven to be popular and valuable, promoting healthy eating, confidence, and social connection. From experience with other projects, 1625 has found that domestic-style kitchens offer a more relaxed, familiar environment that helps young people build skills they can use in their own future homes. A kitchen with a table and chairs would also enable shared meals—something the current space doesn’t allow.
To achieve this, 1625 seeks pro bono support to:
- Remove the commercial kitchen fixtures, including stainless steel countertops and deep in-built sinks
- Install a domestic kitchen with:
- Standard countertops, including one lowered for wheelchair access
- Two domestic sinks and cookers
- Additional white goods to support group cooking and celebrations like Christmas
- (Optionally) Remove the large central kitchen vent
- The flooring is already commercial-grade and in good condition
Timeline:
Flexible