Cash boost for town homeless support

A HOSTEL which supports homeless teens and young adults in Hinckley has been gifted £1,000 by Persimmon Homes.

Hinckley Homeless Group works to provide permanent and stable accommodation where young people aged between 16 and 25 can stay up to a year.

The charity also helps them find work or get places in training and education, offers budgeting advice and aids with independent skills.

The group were awarded the money as part of Persimmon Homes’ Community Champions scheme, a national programme where clubs, groups and good causes can apply for funding up to the value of £1,000 to match money they have already raised themselves. Nationwide the company has donated more than £1 million.

Louise Adams, project manager at Hinckley Homeless Group, said: “Hinckley, like many areas of the UK, has its issues with homelessness.

“We aim to provide 24-hour support for our young people but currently there are periods of the day when the office is unmanned and during the weekends, as we are unable to fund these.

“We are raising funds to keep our current support hours available and hopefully extend them if we are able to raise enough.

“We currently have two full-time project workers and one part-time worker, supported by a part-time manager and admin - we hope one day we can add to this resources to help even more people.

“The donation from Persimmon Homes North Midlands is a massive help to us and helps secure the immediate future for our charity.”

Nadine O’Dowd, sales director for Persimmon Homes North Midlands, said the charity was vital to the county and it was a privilege to support them.