Fleming Gardens Funding Approved until 2027
YWCA Yorkshire’s Fleming Gardens Project is awarded Local Authority contract.
Following a competitive tender process, our charity has been formally awarded a three-year contract to support vulnerable young women, children and families in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
The contract, which is commissioned and funded by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), includes accommodation and wrap-around support to 47 families in Rotherham.
YWCA Yorkshire supports young women, children and families to build better futures. Known locally as Fleming Gardens, the charity has been the Local Authority’s provider of choice for this contract since May 2004. The success of this most recent tender process guarantees funding until 2027 with a further option to extend until 2029.
Through Fleming Gardens, YWCA Yorkshire currently offers accommodation and support to young families in 20 properties provided by the charity and a partner Housing Association in Rotherham. The charity’s specialist team of Project Workers also supports a further 27 families in the community in their own tenancies.
Support is delivered to people who often don't have the security or comfort of family to help them build a home, access training and education, or to raise children. It is specially designed to break down barriers that can prevent people from accessing the services they need, and it prioritises vulnerable people in those critical early years of a child’s life. YWCA Yorkshire understand that the security of a home, access to training, and the compassion and expertise of trained professionals, can positively impact individuals and communities for generations.
Twenty-four percent of homeless families in Rotherham have no family or friends who can accommodate them and domestic violence, relationship breakdowns and poor subsequent mental health are often cited as key contributors to homelessness (Rotherham’s Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleepers Strategy - 2023-2026). Seventy-one percent of young women currently accessing Fleming Gardens report poor mental health, 74% have experienced parental domestic violence and 64% are themselves survivors of domestic abuse.
The root causes and long-term effects of homelessness are complex, and YWCA Yorkshire has developed a holistic programme of support that directly responds to challenges around housing, mental health, domestic violence, sexual assault, relationship breakdown and skills development.
Of the newly awarded contract, YWCA Yorkshire Chief Executive Tracy Gollins, said: “It has been our privilege to work with partners across South Yorkshire to support young women, children and families in Rotherham for the last 20 years and we are proud to have been awarded the onward contract for Fleming Gardens.
“This funding from the Local Authority means we will be able to support upwards of 250 families over the next three years. The people we support are some of the most vulnerable and most resilient in our communities and they deserve to be given every opportunity to thrive.”
Across South Yorkshire YWCA Yorkshire currently supports over 250 families in their own homes, in the community, and through three housing projects in Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster.
Quote from a Rotherham woman following her support by YWCA Yorkshire, 2023: “I now feel like I can finally start a normal family life. My Project Worker helped me rebuild my relationship with my partner and we can make our new house a happy family home. I feel settled and safe and happy. We are looking forward to the new baby and a happy life together. I can’t thank you enough for helping me.”
Deputy Leader of Rotherham Council, Councillor Sarah Allen, said: “Tackling homelessness in Rotherham requires strong partnerships and engagement with a variety of organisations, such as this one with YWCA Yorkshire. We will continue to work to ensure that fewer people in Rotherham experience the trauma of homelessness and those who do can find a settled home quicker.”