Local charities and politicians have welcomed the Government’s announcement this weekend of £130,000 to help support charities working with homeless people in Stoke-on-Trent.
Three charities working in the city will receive the following amounts:
- The Gingerbread Centre: £27,000
- Honeycomb Charitable Services £57,975
- Saltbox: £45,000
A total of £6 million in support for homelessness charities across the country was announced this weekend, part of a £750 million fund to help all charities through the Covid-19 outbreak.
Jack said, “Everyone across our city has faced difficulties in adapting to the situation presented to us by the Covid-19 lockdown, but it is important that we do not overlook just how difficult this has been for some of the most vulnerable and especially homeless people.”
“It is virtually impossible to follow social distancing measures if you are sleeping on the streets, and this is compounded by there being fewer people out and about to spot when people are in desperate need. Local charities have been doing great work to help people into accommodation where they need it even as their own funding opportunities have diminished, so I’m pleased the Government has stepped in to make sure this vital work can continue.”
Wendy Hocking, Chief Executive of The Gingerbread Centre, said, “We were really pleased and relieved to find out that our funding application was successful, it will help us to continue to provide much needed help to the Homeless families and teenage parents that we accommodate and support.
“We had lost income but had increased costs that were about to cause us great difficulties, so this has eased that pressure immensely giving us a gratefully received helping hand.
Homelessness Minister Luke Hall said, “The staggering effort between councils and charities across the country has ensured that over 90% of rough sleepers known to councils at the start of the pandemic have been offered safe accommodation. This work has helped to protect thousands of lives.
“This money will help charities continue to support these people and ensure they are getting everything they need to prevent them from returning to a life on the streets so they can rebuild their lives once and for all.”