DERBY North MP Catherine Atkinson has praised the city’s organisations providing accommodation to hundreds of homeless people night after night.
The Labour MP was speaking after a moving service held in Derby Cathedral where representatives from organisations including Derventio Housing Trust, YMCA Derbyshire, Faith Hope and Enterprise and Derby City Mission talked about their work providing beds and homes in the city for people who no longer have theirs.
She said: “It was great to catch up with our incredible charitable and not-for-profit organisations who do such valuable work helping people in Derby who find themselves without a home. The support workers I’ve met show such compassion and care; they go above and beyond for people who need help – often in very difficult circumstances. Their commitment is inspiring, and I’m full of admiration for everything they do for people in our city.”
This month the Government announced £84million in funding with the aim of supporting councils up and down the country to prevent homelessness and help struggling families ahead of the winter season.
Jackie Carpenter, assistant director of strategy for Derventio Housing Trust, told those present about the organisation’s work, which currently involves providing more than 200 bed spaces in Derby alone, and 150 in Derbyshire, along with hundreds more in other parts of the country such as Nottingham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Swindon.
Among the projects of which the trust is particularly proud is ‘Home4Me’ which is currently accommodating a small number of people in Derby who would not benefit from the opportunity via other services. The project provides a high level of support for people including an advocacy service, helping get lives back on track.
Derventio also provides a service housing people who have been discharged from hospital in Chesterfield and have nowhere else to go. Its charitable ‘Sylvester’s Fund’ pays for one-off items for people as varied as mobile phones, work shoes and childcare vouchers to help those who need to attend job interviews.
Having been started off with a £4,200 legacy from a grateful former resident, it has grown thanks to fundraising and donations totalling more than £150,000.
Faith Hope and Enterprise started in 2000 and now houses 44 adults in Derby and Ashbourne in a mix of shared housing, as well as providing additional support.
YMCA Derbyshire, meanwhile, provides a range of services including beds for more than 200 people every night, while Derby City Mission has its Safe Space, The Ark and Night Café facilities which accommodate up to 38 rough sleepers each night. They also run projects supporting many others in tenancies who are at risk of homelessness.
Representatives from all organisations were welcomed to Derby Cathedral’s Homelessness Service by the Dean of Derby, The Very Revd Dr Peter Robinson.
Sarah Hernandez, managing director of Derventio Housing Trust who attended the service, said: “It was very moving to attend the Homelessness Service at Derby Cathedral to honour the work that so many are doing in this city and the wider county – and country – to provide accommodation to people who would otherwise not have a home. We and all our fellow organisations in Derby are doing all we can to try and ensure that no-one has to face their life without a home and we are proud to continue this important work.”
For more information, contact Lucy Stephens at Penguin PR on 0771 983 9446 or email [email protected].
