WINTER HOMELESS PROJECT PROVIDED ACCOMODATION FOR WEST BERKSHIRE HOMELESS FOR 117 NIGHTS
Local homeless support charities came together in the autumn of 2023 to provide people who would otherwise have been street homeless in West Berkshire with access to a safe place to sleep during the winter months. Emergency accommodation in local hotels and bed and breakfasts provided a break for rough sleepers to get some essential respite from the harsh reality of their daily lives on the streets, as well as providing time for people who were newly homeless to put together a moving-on plan. A total of 37 people were supported by the project, with a total of 1,324 beds/nights provided.
The project, which came to an end on Monday (15th), was a partnership between local charities The Newbury Community Resource Centre, West Berkshire Homeless, Newbury Soup Kitchen, Loose Ends Newbury and West Berkshire Council’s Rough Sleeper Team. Funding was provided by the Greenham Trust, Sheepdrove Trust and the Government’s Household Support Fund.
The project focused on supporting homeless people in West Berkshire who are categorised as ‘non-priority’. As such, the local authority does not have a duty to accommodate them. During the winter period, the risk to the health and well-being of people rough sleeping is considerably higher and so the local charities and West Berkshire Council designed the project to alleviate this risk for at least the winter period.
The project partners worked together and with other relevant organisations, including other charities, WBC departments, DWP and the NHS, to provide tailored support for each individual to help them to move on as soon as possible from the temporary accommodation provision to a longer-term solution to meet their needs.
The number of people in this cohort is increasing and there are a significant number who are rough sleeping in the wider sense of the term, in tents, garages, cars and so on. There is an insufficient stock of accommodation in West Berkshire to temporarily house these people. In the longer term, the charity partnership will continue to work collaboratively to improve the way in which they can collectively meet the needs of the homeless.
REFURBISHING YOUR HOME?
After so many months of closure during the Covid pandemic, our Community Furniture Shops in Newbury and Basingstoke are delighted to be open to customers again.
Despite the many challenges of the lockdowns, one positive for us has been the growing popularity of home refurbishment. Spending so much time within the same four walls led many people to want to change and revamp their homes, so we’ve been very grateful to receive many good quality, used items of furniture lately.
For those who have developed an interest in ‘upcycling’ furniture, we also have a good selection of suitable items on which to practice your skills, including tables, chairs, bedside tables and cupboards.
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Thank you from the Mayor of Basingstoke
We are very proud of our Basingstoke Project Manager, Phelim O’Hagan, who has received a lovely thank you letter from the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for his hard work during the Covid-19 crisis. Phelim and a small team of staff and volunteers...
Interview with 4 Legs Community Radio
Our Chief Executive, Kelvin Hughes, was pleased to be invited to appear on 4 Legs Community Radio station to talk about the work of our charity during lockdown. His interview with presenter, Penny Locke, was videoed and can be viewed on Youtube below:...
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