Lift-off for Mayfield independent living pilot project thanks to Melville donation

A project teaching young people in Mayfield and the surrounding area some of the skills needed to live independently once they leave the family home has received a funding boost following a £1,000 donation from Dalkeith-based Melville Housing Association.

Delivered by Mayfield youth charity Y2K, the pilot project will teach a wide range of life skills including everything from food preparation and cooking to laundry, money management, and household maintenance.

“We’re very excited to be launching this project, and so grateful to Melville for helping make it possible,” said Y2K project manager Lyndsey Ritchie.

“Many of our young people have really struggled through the pandemic and have missed out on loads of experiences that would have helped them prepare for the rest of their lives.

Photo shows (left to right) Jane Burnett of Melville Housing, Lyndsey Ritchie of Y2K, Kirsten Dean of Melville and Morag Fraser of Y2K.

"We really felt we had a duty to help try to make up for some of the time lost.”

Y2K is available for free to all young people (aged between 11 and 18) in Mayfield and the surrounding area.

“We value the fantastic contribution Y2K make to the local community, and we’re delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile project,” said Kirsten Dean Melville’s head of finance and corporate services.

“Teaching life skills and providing help with independent living is vitally important. Basic skills like those being taught by Y2K are essential when starting out in a new tenancy, whether it’s with Melville or with another landlord.

"If you add to that the really difficult conditions facing not just young people, but everyone, just now, never has there been a more pressing need for a project like this.”

Launched in June 2000 after the old church manse on Bogwood Road was donated to the community, Y2K provides drop-in sessions attracting about 120 people a week.

Staff pride themselves on providing a safe and supportive environment that is often lacking at home or elsewhere, allowing young people to socialise, get help and support, and try new activities.

Discover more at www.youth2000project.com or you can find the youth project on Facebook.