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St Martin’s Housing Trust was amongst the recipients of the first round of Hope Funds grants and was awarded a grant to provide tenancy training for 32 people to aid the prevention of homelessness.

Lucy Bone Head of Community Services at St Martins said: “We have been extremely fortunate to receive this funding. It gives us the opportunity to deliver training to the people we support  to develop the skills needed to live independently in a safe and secure environment and to feel confident they can sustain this in the future.”

Empanda, a CIC offering community-based housing related support amongst other services, also received a grant.  A representative of Empanda said: “The grant from Hopestead has enabled Empanda to access a small team of specialist counsellors able to respond quicker, and often more appropriately to the young persons’ needs assisting them to become more positive about their future. We know from experience that when a young person feels positive and in control of their life they are more likely to move on to permanent accommodation successfully and avoid the pitfall of repeat homelessness.”

Another recipient was Village Orchard CIC, a not-for-profit organisation, which provides personalised mental health support through one-to-one therapy sessions and group work. A spokesperson for Village Orchard explained how they would be using the grant: “We will be providing a 12-week closed therapy group for 6 to 8 participants, as well as 16 weeks of 1:1 therapy for 2 participants.  The Village Orchard East CIC understands that homelessness can stem from trauma.  We are so grateful to receive this funding and to have been granted the opportunity to provide this support for people who need it, thank you Hopestead!”

Hopestead was also pleased to provide a grant to Norfolk Community Law service. A spokesperson for the service said: “The independent specialist Debt and Welfare Benefits advice and representation we can provide is quite literally life changing. The funding from Hopestead means we can help more people. People who have been made most vulnerable by society. On their behalf we say thank you.”

And, The Horticulture Industry Scheme CIC (Thetford) received a grant and remarked: “We are so grateful to Hopestead for awarding us funding as part of their Hope Funds project. This funding will enable us to help ten households who have struggled with their gardens because of Covid-19. Our team of employees who have suffered difficulties such as homelessness will be working on this project to transform these householders’ gardens.”

Claire Staddon, Chief Executive of Emmaus Suffolk which also received a grant said: “It’s wonderful working with passionate people, all focused on making a real difference to the local community.  Supporting vulnerable people with issues around housing is an ever-growing challenge and having Hopestead behind you makes it all possible.”

Organisations and projects wishing to apply for the Hope Fund grant scheme can do so here: Apply for funding - Hopestead