Young mothers living in the Salvation Army Housing Association’s (SAHA) Turner House in St Leonards say a visit by the local MP gave them an opportunity to ‘have their say’ and to feel they were being listened to.

Amber Rudd MP visited Turner House in St Leonards last week and in addition to meeting the young women who live there with their babies she was able to find out more about the facility from Malia Tenyue, the Service Manager and her staff.

Turner House works in partnership with a number of organisations including East Sussex County Council to provide accommodation and support to single young women and lone parents from the age of 16. It can provide accommodation for babies and their mothers for up to two years. Turner House has 11 fully furnished bedrooms on four floors and a communal sitting room and large kitchen/dining room. It also provides 24 hour staff cover through a staff team comprising the project manager and a number of project workers.

Ms Rudd said after her visit that she had been impressed by what she saw and had learned directly from the young mum’s just how much support they had received from Turner House.

“Having initially felt so overwhelmed by their circumstances at such a young age it was encouraging to see how much mutual support the young women give each other. The safe and friendly environment created by Turner House helps the young mothers to regain their confidence and ultimately to thrive on their own,” she said.

Malia Tenyue was please the MP had visited and praised the support they had received from the MP over the years: “The residents found Amber Rudd to be very approachable, and she made a positive impact by opening minds…” she said