Charity beats NASA to win global award
A LOUGHBOROUGH homeless charity has beaten space giants NASA to win an international award.
The Bridge East Midlands, in collaboration with Loughborough University, Citizens Advice Charnwood and Charnwood Borough Council, won first prize in the International Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital Awards.
The award is for its project called ‘Charnwood Connect’ - which is a resource for local people seeking help with issues such as welfare rights, benefits, housing, homelessness, domestic violence, immigration, discrimination and debt.
This new way of thinking is a ‘Joined up Approach’ of advice and advocacy services across the borough of Charnwood, and it beat NASA and the European Patent Office to first place in the category.
The ‘Charnwood Connect’ project received £346,000 in National Lottery funding and has taken two years to develop.
The Bridge East Midlands is a Loughborough-based housing charity, providing specialist housing advice, support and assistance to people at risk of homelessness across Charnwood, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Partners of the project are working together to prevent any risk by offering advice, information and support on social welfare law with a ‘One Front Door’ policy.
The need for such a service was triggered by the partner agencies who recognised a joined up advice service would help improve the lives of vulnerable people in the area.
Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan said: “My warmest congratulations go to The Bridge East Midlands and their partners in beating such highly regarded organisations to first prize, they certainly are keeping rarefied company.
“The best part of this story is that the innovative working practices that have been recognised means directly better help and advice services to some of the most vulnerable people in Charnwood. It’s a great success story.”