Introducing Our New Director of Partnerships: Building Brighter Futures, Together

Posted 1st July 2025

By Kat Luckock, Director of Partnerships

I’m delighted to be stepping into the newly created role of Director of Partnerships here at the National House Project (NHP). I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself, share more about what this role involves, and - importantly - outline how it will support our shared vision to help young people lead connected and fulfilling lives.

Why This Role, and Why Now?

Across the UK, young people leaving care still face significant challenges - from homelessness to barriers in accessing education and employment. At NHP, we’ve always believed and demonstrated through local house projects that with the right support, these young people can thrive. The Director of Partnerships role has been created to strengthen and grow the partnerships that make this possible and continue to develop the offer for young people across our community.

This means working closely with corporates, charities, and other stakeholders who share our values and want to make a real difference. Whether it’s through funding, in-kind support, or providing opportunities for young people to grow in confidence and gain vital life and work skills, these partnerships will be key to enhancing our offer.

What Will This Look Like in Practice?

My role is to develop local and national partnerships that bring real value to the entire House Project community, but with a clear focus on ensuring those resources benefit young people locally, through their Local House Projects (LHPs). This will also link to the work we’re doing to develop a framework of support for young people who have moved into their own homes

Some key areas of focus include:

• Resources and training for LHPs on how to build, maintain and grow impactful partnerships locally
• Identifying businesses that want to give back to their communities by supporting young people through mentoring, volunteering, sponsorship, or work placements.
• World of Work Insight Days: Creating opportunities for young people to visit workplaces, meet professionals, and explore different careers.
• Aspirations & Employability Support: Working with partners to deliver CV workshops, interview preparation, and broader life skills sessions that build confidence and real-world readiness.
• Looking to improve access to services for young people, for example, with supermarket store-cards, broadband provision, travel and utility providers.
• Development of CLNM reps skills and experience, and sponsorship of CLNM conference

These initiatives not only improve outcomes for care-experienced young people but also align closely with many organisations’ social value priorities - such as reducing youth homelessness, supporting inclusive employment, and investing in the communities where they operate.

For Local House Projects

For those of you working in Local House Projects, I’ll be working with you to understand your priorities and challenges — and then where helpful identifying and connecting you with partners to support your work. Whether it’s a local employer keen to offer apprenticeships or a charity wanting to run a confidence-building workshop, my role is to help broker and nurture those connections and support you to do this too.

So please do get in touch to make a call and discuss what would be helpful to you and your team.

For Our Partners and Supporters

To our existing partners — thank you. Your support already plays a crucial role in transforming lives. And to potential partners reading this: I’d love to explore how we can work together.

Whether you're a national business looking to deliver on social value or ESG commitments, or a local organisation wanting to create impact in your community, we’re excited to develop meaningful, value-driven partnerships that make a tangible difference to the lives of young people leaving care.