Bindeleddet supports young people on their way to adult life

“With support from the Vissing Foundation Bindeleddet promotes well-being and good relations, reinforcing young people’s ability to act independently after they have been in care away from home. This group is often vulnerable in the transition to adult life, especially if they lack a stable network of adults they can turn to for support. There is a greater risk of loneliness and poor quality of life – so they find it difficult to gain a foothold and find housing, vocational training or a job.

At Baglandet (the Support base) in Aalborg, Bindeleddet sets up secure communities for young people aged 18 to 30. They can meet for activities run by volunteers, while building up relationships with people their own age and stable adults. This scheme supplements the public services, and is intended to help the young people thrive and improve their self-esteem, enabling them to live their lives independently.

“With the grant from the Vissing Foundation we can ensure that our volunteer mentors are well equipped, draw more people in, and set up even more communities for the young people. It helps to ensure good relationships that will last, while the young people have a stable adult in their lives and a secure community where they belong,” says Mads Christian Voss, project Manager at Fonden Bindeleddet.

The work of Bindeleddet is based on a method in which volunteers take part in weekly activities together with the young people. Through long-term contact the young people build up confidence and secure relationships, on which the support of mentors is based. Each of the young people is matched with an adult volunteer in a process that extends over at least a year. The mentor serves as a stable support in daily life, e.g. in relation to training, work, finding somewhere to live and personal goals.

The combination of community and one-to-one relationships builds up a strong foundation. It prevents loneliness, strengthens self-esteem, and improves the young people’s chances of completing training or keeping a job with a stable daily life.