Lloyds Bank Foundation is supporting The Bridge Homelessness to Hope charity in Leicester with a three-year unrestricted grant of £75,000.
The funding will support the homeless charity’s core services, including individual casework, mental and physical health services, breakfast provision, access to hot showers, as well as the availability of clothing, toiletries, and washing and drying facilities.
Lloyds Bank Foundation is an independent charitable foundation, funded by Lloyds Banking Group. It works in partnership with small and local charities, people and communities, changing lives and working towards a more just and compassionate society.
The money will go to help people like ‘D’. D first came to The Bridge Homelessness to Hope in October 2021; at a low ebb, facing closed doors wherever he turned. He had recently been released from prison but was getting little support from anywhere on housing. His mental health was very poor and as a result, he had been assessed as unsuitable for accommodation at most places, as his needs were judged to be too high.
Liaising with the Outreach team, The Bridge Homelessness to Hope team was able to work and support him into suitable accommodation. The team continued to support him with his mental health, ensuring that he was in regular contact with medical services and getting the support he needed. This helped him to achieve a better mental state and allowed him to progress onto a training programme to gain a qualification to work with Network Rail. He continued to improve and managed to gain full time employment after successfully completing his training.
He was then able to gain further control over his situation, and rather than wait for permanent accommodation with the council, he was able to pursue a private rental. He recently bumped into a
team member and said that he never had the chance to come and thank The Bridge Homelessness to Hope for supporting him at a time when he felt no one else would.
The grant period starts from August 2023 and will be completed in August 2026.
Gary Beharrell, Regional Manager, Lloyds Bank Foundation, said: "Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and increasing living costs, small charities have consistently demonstrated their dedication to supporting the communities around them. This funding will help The Bridge continue its vital work and extend its reach to people in Leicester facing homelessness and other complex issues. We will also provide a range of development support, helping the charity be even more resilient. We very much look forward to working with them.”
David Fawcett, Executive Operations Manager of The Bridge Homelessness to Hope, added: “We’re delighted that the Lloyds Bank Foundation has approved our application for funding for the next three years. It’s a very tough environment for the city’s vulnerable homeless community, and this grant will help us enormously as we look to deliver services that will help our service users cope with their situations and begin to rebuild their lives.”
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