Vulnerable young women in Cornwall forced to leave supported accommodation as it's set to close

  • Watch as centre users talk to ITV News' Grace Pascoe about its closure

Vulnerable young women in Cornwall say they feel "sad for future generations" after a centre that offers supported accommodation is set to close at the end of March.

Truro Young Women's Centre houses 11 individuals aged between 16 and 21 at a time, and a further three can be housed in its move-on accommodation.

Westward Housing runs the centre and its closure means the Duchy without a service of its kind.

The announcement of its closure has come as a shock to many, including one former resident - who wishes to remain anonymous - who moved there when she was a teenager.

She told ITV West Country she grew into a much better person because of the centre.

The centre houses 11 individuals aged between 16 and 21 at a time. Credit: ITV News.

She said: “The main thing for me was not having males in the building.

"Knowing that males couldn’t come and visit, they couldn’t come in, it was completely locked off from the world, apart from the people that lived there.

"That place really did save me. I feel sad for future generations that don’t have that option now.”

The centre is now days away from closing and another person who is connected to it says she's devastated that it's closing down.

She said: "They are all survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault; they’ve had to leave home for one reason or another.

"It’s the first safe space they’ve ever known and that’s the tragedy of the closure, it’s the first place they’ve felt safe and now they’re being moved on from the project.

"Former residents have said that it’s changed their lives, having that space to feel safe and heard for the first time in their lives.

"With the specifics of that building needing to house vulnerable young women for 95 years that’s left on that lease with the Methodist Church, we’d really hope that there’s another provider that could take on the lease.

Westward Housing runs the centre in Truro. Credit: ITV News.

"Maybe Westward Housing could sell the lease to another project. Our call is to anybody else that might be able to save the project.

"There’s been 400 young women that have lived in the centre, there’s going to be another 400 that need the service and it’s just a tragedy that it’s not a place that they can reach out to.”

Westward Housing: 'This hasn't been an easy decision but the current building will not be suitable'

Westward Housing have confirmed that all of the remaining residents now have plans in place for their move on before the centre closes.

In a statement a spokesperson for Westward Housing said: “We are very proud of our staff team who have been working closely with the young people supported by the service to help them transition to appropriate alternative accommodation.

"The contract for the homeless support service for young people at Truro Young Women’s Centre ends on 31 March 2025.

"Westward Housing Group has taken the difficult decision to not re-tender for this contract. This hasn’t been an easy decision, but the current building will not be suitable to provide the service for the duration of a further contract.

"Despite our extensive efforts, we have been unable to secure alternative premises that meet the future needs of the service.

"Reaching this decision has been difficult, it is not the outcome we had hoped for. We value the important work that this service has achieved for young people in need”.