Spire Foundation announces their support for a care experienced young person through tuition at Ask The Question CIC

The Spire Foundation is delighted to be able to support the tuition of a care experienced young person during the 2021/22 academic year through the wonderful Ask The Question C.I.C in Hebden Bridge. 

The aims and works of this community interest company fully align with those of the Foundation and we have closely followed them for some time. This support builds on the Foundation’s path to offer support for care experienced individuals through access to all aspects of education. In short, Spire is a charity established to support vulnerable children and adults across the North of England. 

The focus of Spire Foundation is on those young people with learning or physical disabilities, or those that have experienced the care system. The charity has the aim of supplying those individuals and their families with funds and support to enable them to advance themselves, through education, the funding of courses, work placements, or through the provision of specialist equipment. They have grown out of the dedication of Spire Barristers; a specialist set of Family and Public law barristers based in Leeds, covering the North of England. Our work as barristers includes the representation of families and children in the care system, as well as adults needing the assistance of social care. We are frequently engaged by local authorities, parents and on behalf of the children involved. 

Ask The Question C.I.C. provides children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, in particular focussing on those children who have suffered abuse, trauma or neglect, with access to holistic support in the form of one-to-one tuition and mentorship. They are a trauma-informed organisation, with an educational psychologist always on site, and they practice ‘attachment theory’, providing students with an environment which is safe, secure, flexible, caring and where positive relationships are seen as fundamental. Sessions at ‘Ask The Question’ focus on well-being, social and emotional learning, and the building of resilience. Since formally establishing themselves as a CIC in 2017, they have worked with 80 students, over half of which have been care experienced. 

Jo Austin, founder of Ask The Question CIC, said, “We are absolutely delighted that Spire Foundation will be sponsoring one of our student’s tuition for this academic year. It will make a huge difference in the life and opportunities of this particular young person, and we are humbled that an organisation such as Spire Foundation sees the value in what we provide here at Ask The Question.”