history

1984

Portsmouth Housing Association (PHA) becomes concerned about the numbers of young people and families who are homeless in Portsmouth and wants to do something about it. They are also worried by government talk to make it much harder for young people to get housing.

1985

The Portsmouth Housing Trust is set up to tackle “poverty, sickness and distress”. It later becomes known as ‘The Trust’ or ‘PHT’ and is based in PHA’s offices at 247 Fratton Road, Portsmouth. At this time, the government also brings in their promised Housing Act.

1986

Homeless families continue to be put in B&B hotels in Portsmouth. They are thrown out on the streets during the day time with no where to go.

1987

A big year for homelessness is led by The United Nations. In Portsmouth, centres in churches and church halls around the city are made available for homeless families to drop into for food and shelter. The churches and PHA get together and give The Trust its first job of fundraising and supporting the volunteer staff at the centres.

1988

The Housing Information Centre (HIC) is set up by PHA, Portsmouth City Council and ‘Shelter’ for Portsmouth people. Being independent, The Trust is asked to run it.

1989

‘Care and Repair’ joins The Trust. It provides help, mainly for elderly and disabled home owners to stop them from having to move just because they do not have enough cash to repair or improve their houses.

1991

All Saints Direct Access Hostel in Portsmouth is opened for young homeless people, providing safety, shelter and support. Once again, this idea is led by PHA and All Saints Church, with funding from Hampshire County Council as many people are also care leavers. The Trust will manage this specialist type of emergency housing.

1992

PHA lease 82 Crasswell Street, Portsmouth, from a church to make a much needed permanent ‘homeless families’ day centre. It will need a complete makeover for it to work. The Trust begins a major fundraising exercise for money to pay for what is needed.

1993

PHA get The Trust to take on the housing management of its ‘Special Needs Housing’. Overnight, on 1 April, turnover grows by over 200% and the Trust suddenly has many employees and many clients in need of support. PHA acquire the former ‘Egremont’ pub at 84 Crasswell Street. It will make even more space at the new Centre. Meanwhile, in faraway Canada, a Mr Roberts, who came from Portsmouth, dies. In his will, he asks the Bishop to manage a large sum of money to help Portsmouth children.

1995

In some ways, 1995 is the heyday of PHA and PHT working together. So much good happens:

The newly refurbished Roberts Day Centre at 82-84 Crasswell St, Portsmouth, is opened by HRH Princess of Wales.
The ‘First Base’ Young People’s Advice Service opens at No. 84.
At No. 82, a fabulous new family centre opens its doors and upstairs, the HIC (which will become the Housing Advice Centre or HAC) and our new resettlement service opens, providing accommodation and support for people who have lived in hospital for many years.

This year also sees the Portsmouth Women’s Aid Refuge become a Trust service; Warnford Close opens to provide a care home for people with mental ill health after being in hospital.

1996

Our landmark Petersfield learning disability services open in partnership with Petersfield Housing Association. PHA develop a brand new ‘move-on’ service for young people in Southsea which replaces a service in Fratton. PHA agrees to develop two new housing services for people with learning disabilities.

1997

Nicola Youern becomes Chief Executive. Our Supported Employment Service for people with learning disabilities opens in Havant. A very high support service for three ladies opens in Fareham as The Trust enters a new partnership with Knightstone Housing Association. Care and Repair opens a new service in the Chichester District. The ‘EC Roberts Centre’ leaves the Trust but remains financially underwritten by PHA. The seeds of Supporting People are sown. ‘PHT’ wins the first Lottery award to a consortium bid, leading eventually to The Trust becoming the new landlord at the Fareham Youth Centre.

1998

Portsmouth Housing Trust becomes ‘Southern Focus Trust’ and moves to a new HQ premises, Anchor House (now known as Focus Point) at 116 Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth. Bob Paterson, our founding father, retires as Group Managing Director at PHA.

2000

Tessa Short is appointed Chairman. The Trust gets its first award as an ‘Investor in People’. HYPA (Havant Young People’s Access) opens in Leigh Park providing drop in support, advice and information for young people. Hermitage Housing Association provides a number of new properties to replace the former Women’s Refuge in Portsmouth.

2001

1 April – SFT demerges from the PHA Group. Our first ‘floating support’ service opens in Havant. ‘Care and Repair’ win tenders to deliver services in Eastleigh and Basingstoke.

2002

The Trust takes on May Place House, Basingstoke: a large direct access hostel for homeless people. Fareport Fund-a-Home, a small charity supporting single homeless people into private sector accommodation, joins SFT. The Charity Commission visits - our governance standards are noted with 17 good practice points for national dissemination.

2003

Jim Bain joins the Trust Management Team as Director of Finance. 1 April - Supporting People becomes the main funding source. SFT moves part of its HQ function to Fairfield House to free up space for services in Anchor House. Our innovative ‘dual diagnosis’ service opens in Portsmouth providing support for people with substance misuse issues and mental ill health.

2004

SFT buys the freehold of ‘Anchor House’ and undertakes a major refurbishment. The property is renamed Focus Point. SFT also opens its London Road offices. SFT launches its first Staff Excellence Awards to recognise the excellence of staff across the organisation. Later that year, the Board of Trustees becomes a finalist in the National Charity of the Year Awards for its excellence in governance.

2005

SFT buys its first properties for rent. These are for young people moving on from Penn House in Basingstoke.

2006

We become a very proud Dorset service provider, winning two substantial Supporting People contracts and investing in more properties for young people. HM Treasury cite partnership work by the Trust as an example of excellence in a nationally published report.

2007

Our Dorchester office has its official opening. Nicola Youern, one of a small group of ‘Third Sector’ leaders in the UK, is invited to Sweden to share learning in best practice.

2008

The Trust opens the second Community Legal Advice Centre in the UK, replacing the Portsmouth Housing Advice Centre. It is later visited by the Minister for Justice and the Head of the Legal Services Commission as an example of national good practice. Nicola Youern becomes a founder member of EUCLID, The Third Sector Support Network for all Europe. We go in search of a new brand and, just before Christmas, change our name to ‘YOU’. Hazelgrove and Martingrove - homes to 15 adults with learning disabilities in the New Forest – join YOU.

2009

The YOU brand is released alongside our outrageous ambition for the future.

2010

YOU moves to its new headquarters in Fareham and becomes a 1 Star Best Company as well as a ‘Sunday Times Top 100 Best Company to Work For’. Our Smart Living range of assisted technology support goes live. Later in the year, we are invited to deliver the Dorset County-wide Domestic Violence Outreach service as well as the Hampshire-wide, Supported Employment Service.

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YOU was originally formed in 1985 as the Portsmouth Housing Trust by Portsmouth Housing Association to provide care and support services to people who were not its residents.

By 1993, we had became one of the major providers of care, support and advice services in Portsmouth and the Housing Association took the decision to transfer all the care and support services provided to us. In 1998, we changed our name to Southern Focus Trust and in 2001 we demerged from the Portsmouth Housing Association Group.

Since then, YOU has grown and now provides services to people who are homeless or threatenend with homelessness, people with a mental illness, those with a learning disability, young people (including young parents) at risk of homelessness, ex-offenders and women and children surviving domestic violence.

In 2009, recognising that the work they did was national and wishing to have a name which captured the importance of person centred services, the company went though a rebranding. YOU has been warmly welcomed by service users and staff alike as a name which is memorable, iconic and captures the ethos of a charity working with poeople. The brand was launched at our staff conference in February 2009.

YOU provides services in Portsmouth, throughout Hampshire, across Dorset and is looking to work more widely across England and Wales. Each year we support over 8,000 people.

YOU has a turnover of over £13m a year and has become a major employer on the south coast with over 400 staff. In 2009, the charity was shortlisted for Wessex Charity of the Year and Wessex Charity CEO of the Year. Its Portsmouth Community Legal Advice Centre won Team of the Year in the News Business Excellence Awards where Nicola Youern was also recognised as Business Personality of the Year.