Cornwall homeless charity Harbour Housing is celebrating this Christmas after being awarded almost £10,000 in National Lottery funding to support its work with women escaping violence and abuse.
Harbour, based in St Austell, will use the funding to provide bespoke training and support to these women, who also have experience of multiple disadvantages, to enable them to recover and progress.
The charity has been running since 2009 and works to provide accommodation and support to those with complex needs experiencing homelessness across Cornwall.
There has been an increasing demand for services to support women with complex needs in the last few years, and Harbour hopes to use this funding to continue its work with this marginalised group.
Complex needs can cover a range of things including mental health issues, addiction and owning a dog, as unfortunately, these would all result in women being unable to access traditional refuges.
The new funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will see the women involved in the project supported to recover from their experiences and reach their potential.
This provision will not just benefit the women who engage with the initial project, but all those in the future who access the service, with staff training and best-practice sharing with other agencies ensuring the sustainability of the project.
Member of staff at Harbour, Emily Hill, said: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way and put their faith in us to deliver the project.
“Now, thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to provide the very best service to our clients and really offer the right support and encouragement to the women who access the project.
“Hearing the news that our application was successful has been the best Christmas present and we can’t wait to get started in the new year!”