Live Unlimited was set up in December 2017 to provide extra support, inspiration and opportunities for Barnet's looked after children and care leavers. (A looked after child is a young person in the care of the local authority and a care leaver is a young person aged 18-25 who has left care but still receives local authority support).

Looked after children and care leavers are among the most vulnerable members of society.

While less than one per cent of children in England have spent time in care, statistics show that a quarter of the adult prison population and almost half of young men aged below 21 in the criminal justice system have spent time in care. 20-30 per cent of homeless people have been in care while a quarter of young women leave the care system pregnant.  With often harrowing experiences of abuse and neglect, it is not surprising therefore that children in care are four times more likely than their peers to have a mental health difficulty.

When a child is taken into care, the local authority becomes their corporate parent.  As a corporate parent, Barnet Council identified there was a gap between what it could provide and what birth families might provide for their own children. Live Unlimited seeks to fill that gap by funding the sort of additional help which birth families regularly fund for their own children such as music or sport lessons, equipment and course fees, while complementing the extensive services and support the council provides to every looked after child.

At the heart of everything we do is our vision that all children who spend time in care should have equal chances to lead happy and fulfilling lives as those children living with their birth families.

We do this by focussing on three main themes:

*encouraging looked after children and care leavers to follow their passions and explore their interests

*giving looked after children and care leavers the life skills they need to fulfil their potential

*inspiring all looked after children and care leavers to succeed.