Spinnaker Tower Abseil, Portsmouth
11 July 2026
News
We are delighted to report that Sarah Johnson has been awarded Volunteer of the Year Award at the West Berkshire Council Community Champion Awards.
Sarah is a host for our Supported Lodgings service, offering an emergency bed for young people in need of immediate help, including Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. The Volunteer of the Year Award recognises an individual volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution in the community, and Sarah was the single recipient of this honour.
As well as giving young people a safe and welcoming place to live, Sarah has always gone a step further in supporting young people who have very little. This includes helping them buy new clothes, registering them with a GP and even teaching them English.
The Community Champion Award ceremony took place at Shaw House, Newbury on 6th February 2023. Sarah was accompanied by members of the Supported Lodgings team who were delighted to see her receive the award.
“Sarah is an outstanding volunteer and host,” commented Kelly Headen, Head of Fostering and Supported Lodgings at Step by Step. “She always goes above and beyond for the young people she takes in, often at very little notice. We are so lucky to have her working with us and are privileged to have seen her transform many young lives.
”Visit our Spare Room page to find out more about Supported Lodgings and becoming a host for young people.
We are proud to announce the opening of our new move-on property in Bedhampton. This home will support up to four young people aged 18 and over, many of whom might otherwise be left waiting on housing lists, homeless, or relying on a friend’s sofa.
The Bedhampton property is the third Step by Step move-on home – a unique accommodation model for young people ready to move on with their lives but with no viable housing options available to them.
