'Citizen Hub has been a huge help for my family'

A grandmother has heaped praise on a careers and skills service for helping her grandchildren by giving them direction and boosting their careers.

Mary Warren, 72, began caring for her two teenage grandsons shortly after the death of their mother, her daughter-in-law, in 2019.

She said both teenagers struggled after leaving school and "would not listen to nan", but visits to the Citizens Hub in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, had helped them secure brighter futures.

Co-founder Alex Hughes said the hub – which was recently relaunched after being forced to close earlier in the year – believed in social mobility and making opportunities as "30% of jobs are created and not found, and we lean into that".

Ms Warren moved to St Neots from Hertfordshire in 2017 and was later joined by her grandsons, who she said had a "traumatic younger life".

"They lost their way after leaving school and, being nan, they don't listen to me... I needed to find someone to listen and help."

The teenagers had different needs. One had several exclusions, left school without qualifications and was "never really given a chance".

His brother struggled in some social situations, dropped out of university and was not sure what to do next.