Portsdown View care home in Bedhampton has welcomed a group of young people from Havant Youth Hub as part of a new partnership with Havant Borough Council.
The visit was structured to offer participants an insight into working in the social care sector, while helping them gain valuable employability skills including interpersonal communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and empathy for people at all stages of life. The experience also supported the aims of the Empower You programme – Havant Young Hub’s 14-week development initiative designed to build confidence, self-esteem, and essential life skills.
This marks the first step in what Portsdown View hopes will be a long-term collaboration with Havant Borough Council. Discussions are already underway around further schemes – including arranging mock job interviews, guest speaker sessions, employability workshops, work experience and volunteering opportunities, and even fast-track interviews for members of Havant Youth Hub.
Encouragingly, the experience has already led to two of the participants to apply for roles at Connaught Care – one looking for work experience within the management team, and another applying for a full-time carer position at Portsdown View.
Pippa Mafunga, general manager at Portsdown View, said: “It was truly wonderful to see our residents connect so easily and naturally with some local youngsters. It goes to show that when generational barriers are overcome and people are given a chance to connect, the results are always meaningful, uplifting and memorable for everyone involved. We’re also incredibly proud to be the first care home in the borough to take part in this brilliant scheme!”
A representative from Havant Youth Hub added: “It was genuinely heartwarming to see how a single day at Portsdown View inspired so much growth and optimism among the participants. Sometimes, all young people need is to see how many exciting and fruitful career opportunities are out there; which is why collaborations like this are so crucial. We are very excited for the young people and all that lies ahead for them, and we very much look forward to continuing our collaboration throughout 2026!”
