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A North East homelessness charity is extending the support it can provide to local people in crisis at a time of fast-growing need, with the help of a four-figure grant from the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund at the Community Foundation.
Oasis Community Housing runs a range of housing and support services to help address individuals’ immediate needs and the wider root causes of homelessness.
A core part of its work revolves around its Basis drop-in resource centres in Gateshead and Sunderland, which ensure vulnerable people can have their urgent needs met and can also easily access a range of services and specialists through a single location that can help them regain control of their lives.
Oasis Community Housing, which helps around 1,000 people every year, is now using a £3,000 grant to boost its welfare fund, which it uses to cover the cost of whichever items its service users require to meet their immediate and longer-term needs.
Hazel Ditchburn, corporate relationship manager at Oasis Community Housing, says: “Our Basis drop in service allows us to give people whatever immediate help they need, such as hot drinks and food, dry clothing or a shower, while also giving us the chance to offer a friendly ear and find out about their situation, so we can look at what help we can provide in the longer term.
“Getting a grant of this size from Newcastle Building Society, especially in the current financial climate, means we’re able to plan our services with a much greater degree of certainty ensuring the people walking through our doors get the right help and support they really need.”
