Our work
Vennture's work
We’re an independent charity, helping people in difficulty to make a fresh start, whatever their background or circumstances.
You’ll find our Vennture people working hard to support our community.
Trust built over time
Young people with care experience often face adult-sized challenges without the consistent support others take for granted. Whether it’s changes in where they live, who cares for them, or who they can rely on, life can feel unsettled and the effects can last long after formal care ends. At Vennture, we understand that what care-experienced young people need most is someone who’s there, week in and week out, without judgement or an agenda. That’s what we offer: patient, steady mentoring that helps young people build trust, confidence, and a sense of positivity about their future.
How does it work for you?
Vennture offers steady, one-to-one mentoring that isn’t rushed or conditional. It’s support that shows up week after week and builds trust by being reliable, patient, and kind. We recognise that care experience can leave behind uncertainty, isolation or anxiety, and we meet those feelings with respect, not pressure.
What we can help with
Every care-experienced young person is different, and so is the support they need. We can help young people manage big emotions, make sense of past experiences, and feel more in control of what comes next. We offer support with school or education, positive routines and relationships, and future goals.
‘We take time to listen’
Many children and families face times of difficulty. If your family is struggling, we can support you to get back on track. We’ll take time to listen and help you to work out what changes you need to make so that life improves in the ways that you want. We’ll be in touch weekly, face-to-face and over the phone, journeying together to achieve what’s important to you.
Family Link Workers are here to help. They listen and get to know you and your circumstances. They then help you to put plans in place to bring about the positive changes that you want in your life. It’s all about supporting you to take manageable steps.
How does it work for you?
Your personal Family Link Worker is there with weekly support on a 1-1 basis. We are non-judgemental and caring. We usually meet in the home, school or a place that works for you. We’ll take time to get to know you and your needs. We’ll then help you to set and take small steps towards accomplishing what will work for you. We can be there through the ups and downs, in touch weekly, face-to-face and over the phone. Typically, we give six months of support, but it can be longer.
What can we help with?
We support all sorts of families with all sorts of needs. Whether that be help with finances, finding more stable housing, dealing with relationship conflict, or health issues. We can support you to work with statutory services, to get help with addiction or improve your child’s school attendance. This is all about you and what your family needs.
Helping individuals beyond the justice system
Through our Fresh Start team, we support people on the edge of, involved with, or emerging from the criminal justice system. Our relational approach helps individuals reconnect with family, employers and wider support networks. We walk alongside people as they navigate court and probation, ensuring they understand what’s being asked of them and can take positive steps forward. With Vennture's support, change is possible — just 8% of those we’ve worked with have returned to prison, compared to a national reoffending rate of over 26%. Many are now rebuilding their lives and moving forward with purpose.
Individual Link Workers are here to provide specialised care and support in your time of need. They listen and get to know you and your circumstances. They then help you to put plans in place, maybe directing you to further support services, to bring about the positive changes that you want in your life.
How does it work for you?
Your Individual Link Worker is there with weekly support on a 1-1 basis. We are non-judgemental and caring. We’ll take time to get to know you and your needs. We’ll then help you to set and take small steps towards accomplishing what’s important to you. We can be there through the ups and downs, in touch weekly face-to-face and over the phone. Typically, we give six months of support.
What can we help with?
When you’re struggling to cope, having someone to listen and offer reliable information can change your life. That’s what we’re here for. We help you reconnect with people, place and purpose, whether that be help with finding more stable housing, dealing with relationship conflict, or emotional well-being. We can support you to work with further support services, to get help with addiction or find a job.
‘A reassuring presence’
Our volunteers provide a reassuring presence on the streets of Hereford during the day – helping people who may be lonely, lost or unwell. Friendly, helpful and trained in the very best ways to safeguard the most vulnerable, our volunteer want to make Hereford an even better place to shop, visit and work.
Dressed in red coats, teams are out on the streets of our community during the daytime and early evening, providing a reassuring presence and ready to help people in need.
How we help
Our volunteers are the eyes and ears of our community and form an essential contact between CCTV operators and shops, in the effort to prevent and report crime, and increase street vigilance.
While out in the city, you may come across our volunteers chatting to people or providing directions to sites of interest. They are also ready to offer first aid, help look for a lost child, support older people in getting home or simply lend a supportive ear to anyone feeling in need of one.
‘Helping Hereford to get home safely’
Hereford is a busy and vibrant place at night with people enjoying a range of activities from a trip to the theatre or a family meal to a night out at a club. Our adult and student volunteers provide a reassuring presence on the streets at night – helping to keep people safe. Friendly, helpful and trained in the very best ways to safeguard the most vulnerable, our volunteers want to help Hereford get home safely.
Teams are out on the streets of our community during busy weekend nights, providing a reassuring presence and ready to help people in need. They’re there to listen, care and help.
How we help
Our mission is to help people have a good time and come home safe. While out in the city you may come across volunteers hailing a taxi for someone, giving out flip-flops and water bottles or providing first aid. We work closely with local businesses, doormen and the police to identify people that need help, preventing unnecessary 999 calls and reducing pressure on public services. They’re there to listen, care and help.
Alongside our adult volunteers, our student volunteers run a night-time street triage and recovery centre, a dedicated safe space in the city where we can care for people. Our rigorously trained volunteers care for the injured or impaired, accurately assessing and providing first aid, supervising recovery, and reuniting them with friends and family.
A safe place to rebuild
Homelessness in rural areas is often hidden. It’s not always rough sleeping — it can mean sofa surfing, temporary arrangements that fall through, or families living with the constant stress of not knowing if they’ll have a home next week. For people facing this kind of housing crisis, we provide more than just a place to stay. We offer a calm, stable environment where you can pause, feel safe, and start making a plan for what comes next.
How does it work for you
If you or someone you’re supporting needs emergency accommodation, the Local Authority handles the process of assessing need and making placements — including into our properties. Once you’re placed with us, you don’t just receive a roof and a key. You receive safe and secure accommodation, a place to make a fresh start and figure out the next steps that work for you. We understanding that when life has been unstable having a community where you don't feel alone and, being around people that understand you, can make all the difference.
What we can help with
We support people who need somewhere safe to stay. That could mean helping with the immediate need for a roof over your head, and it could mean being there to talk things through, make sense of what’s happened, and work out what comes next. We can support you to access benefits, sort out paperwork, connect with local services, or just take some time to breathe and rebuild. However long you stay, we’ll walk alongside you with steady, kind support that helps you move forward at your own pace.