Avery’s Story

Avery has been involved with 1625 Independent People for the last 15 months. She first came to us at 18 years old due to break down at home and the need for emergency accommodation, and has been working with our teams ever since to build stability, confidence and independence. 

While living in one of our high-support accommodation services, she came across a guitar in the shared space at St George’s House. What started as a simple moment of curiosity quickly became something meaningful. Avery began teaching herself to play using YouTube videos, and she soon realised how much music helped her manage anxiety and express her emotions in a positive way. 

Earlier this year, Avery volunteered to perform at Sleep Out 2025, our biggest annual fundraising event of the year. In front of corporate partners, supporters, colleagues and attendees, she went on stage and sang accompanied by the guitar, something she had never done before. She was nervous, but she pushed through it and delivered a brilliant performance that made all of us incredibly proud. 

Since Sleep Out, the confidence she built that night has inspired her to take an even bigger step: Avery has now signed up for her first open mic gig, choosing to perform in front of a live audience again. This really speaks to the immense talent and potential young people hold within them. The young people we support all have that spark inside themselves, a creativity, a talent, an aspiration that is already there. They just need the right tools, resources, and someone in their corner to believe in them, to give them the confidence to express it. When they have that support, they are capable of creating real magic. 

We are so proud of Avery, not only for her musical talent, but for believing in herself and embracing new challenges. We can’t wait to see what she does next.