Press Release
16 April 2024
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.
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For further information, please contact:
Kelvin Hughes, Newbury Community Resource Centre,
on 01635 43933, email kelvin.hughes@cfpnewbury.org
Notes to Editors
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The Newbury Community Resource Centre Ltd, also known as The Community Furniture Project (Newbury), is an independent registered charity that helps local people in need by providing furniture, goods and services at low cost. The organisation also provides opportunities for people to develop work and social skills through the provision of volunteering and accredited training, and encourages environmentally beneficial activities by promoting recycling and reuse.
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West Berkshire Homeless (Newbury area) is a charity run purely by volunteers and works with the homeless, or those facing homelessness by:
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helping to obtain accommodation and if possible, employment
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helping those facing eviction
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helping to obtain finance to obtain/maintain accommodation
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exploring ways of preventing benefit withdrawals that result in homelessness
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working to alleviate poverty
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Newbury Soup Kitchen’s long-term goal is to open a Community Support Centre for people experiencing homeless and vulnerably housed in West Berkshire. This will be a hub for support services to provide outreach in a safe environment. Newbury Soup Kitchen running since January 2017. NSK has come from recognising the huge need for the rough sleepers and vulnerable in West Berkshire. Providing food provision, support and outreach throughout the week to reduce homelessness and improve lives.
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Loose Ends Newbury has been offering a drop-in centre serving, five days a week, freshly cooked hot meals and providing essentials to vulnerable and homeless people for over 30 years. Lately, they have been providing hot meals to children and families in need of them. They work closely with other organisations and agencies to offer help and support to their clients.