Steve MacSweeney (holding cheque) and hyh Head of Floating Support Kathryn Salmon with the HeT team
hyh is a cause close to the heart of Hertfordshire business man and Crashpad host Steve MacSweeney after he found himself sleeping on friends’ sofas (known as sofa surfing) when he left home at the age of 17.
Steve’s experiences left such a mark on him that the director of the Home Extension Team (HeT) in Hitchin has become a dedicated supporter of hyh and recently donated a very generous £1,000 to us as the company and its builders turned their attention from home-improvements to helping the homeless.
“One of the reasons I support hyh is a personal one, because I left home when I was 17 and I know it’s not easy,” Steve told hyh.
“It’s important to have some support. If I hadn’t had that support, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Steve has also joined hyh’s Crashpad scheme and provides a room in his own home as short-term, emergency accommodation for young people aged 16-17 in need.
“I saw an advert for Crashpad hosts one day and thought ‘that’s a nice idea’. It just resonated with me at that time. I’m so pleased I did it,” the HeT founder said.
Most of the young people who come into Crashpad just need some space away from their families. hyh’s aim is for the young person to return home at the end of their placement which can be just a few nights but is usually no longer than three weeks.
“We’ve found with the young people we’ve hosted – they really do need to get out of their environment and hyh provides them with the opportunity,” said Steve.
“hyh as an organisation is great, it’s well organised and does a difficult job. It gives their users lots of support. We at HeT are very happy to continue supporting Herts Young Homeless.”
hyh Marketing Manager Jennie Rawlings said: “Thank you to everyone at HeT and all their builders and supporters in raising a fantastic amount of money – their continued support and fundraising efforts is amazing.
“Every penny will directly go towards giving the young, vulnerable and homeless the support, help and guidance they desperately need.”
For more information on how to become a Crashpad host please click here or email