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Cllr Richard Kemp has been sworn in recently as the new Lord Mayor of Liverpool at a ceremony at the Town Hall (Wednesday 15 May 2024) and will dedicate his year in office to helping to support care leavers from across the city.
LCVS is excited to be supporting the Lord Mayor over the next 12 months with this project.
Richard has been a Councillor for forty years in many different wards and is now Cllr for the Penny Lane Ward. Richard has filled a variety of roles including chairing committees, being a Cabinet Member and also leader of the Liberal Democrats Group. Richard was awarded a CBE in 2011 for public service to local government, regeneration and housing.
Richard has also established a Care Leavers’ fund after securing investment of a hundred thousand pounds a year for three years. The money, which will be distributed by Liverpool City Council, will be in addition to other support that the City Council has in place and will go towards provisions such as books for college or university, new clothing for interviews, or household items etc.
Lord Mayor Richard Kemp said:
“I am delighted to be able to announce, as my first act since becoming Lord Mayor, a hundred thousand pounds a-year-fund for three years to support care leavers, or those about to leave care.
“We are grateful to have received fifty thousand pounds a year for three years from CCLA, a London based company which provides investment support for churches, charities and local authorities. The Lancashire and Merseyside Community Foundation also has also very kindly given another fifty thousand pounds for three years.
“Working in partnership with the Community Foundation, the City Council will use this money to provide small grants to support care leavers in addition to provisions which are already being provided by the Council.
“The money will be used to provide good experiences for people may have faced challenges in their lives. No restrictions have been applied to what the money can be used for and will be allocated on a case-by-case basis.
“Other partners such as the Liverpool Philharmonic, the Museums and Galleries of Merseyside and the Merseyside Fire Service have also pledged their support. In September I will host an event at the Town Hall which will be co-produced with care leavers to ensure that those with power and money can respond to their needs”.