On your bike! - Redditch Borough Council - Worcestershire Hub

Help is close at hand for
Redditch’s young
homeless
YOUNG people facing a night on the streets
can find a safe place to stay thanks to the
work of an award-winning Redditch charity.
Redditch Nightstop works with young
people between the ages of 16 and 25 as
well as families, Redditch Borough Council,
schools and other organisations to prevent
youth homelessness in the borough.
The charity, which is based at the
Ecumenical Centre in Evesham Walk, finds
safe emergency overnight
accommodation with volunteer families
based throughout the borough and
surrounding area.
Here the young person can wash, have a
meal, sleep and eat breakfast before
returning to Nighstop the following day to
decide how to best deal with their difficult
situation.
Gill Groom, from Redditch Nightstop, said:
“Young people can come here and have
their needs met at a point of crisis.
Everyone knows that we are here and they
Supporting the community
MORE community groups and projects
have been given cash boosts to carry
out their important work with the help of
Redditch Borough Council grants.
Last year around £15,000 was made
available for diversity celebration
projects and the money has now been
distributed to the following seven
groups:
➤ Redditch Chinese Association was
given £2,000 to support Chinese
New Year Celebrations last month.
can just knock on the door to find
someone who will help them.”
Nightstop has been preventing youth
homelessness since 1997 and has around
six volunteer families who are specially
trained to help vulnerable young people.
The charity helps to find suitable temporary
accommodation and works closely with
Redditch Borough Council and housing
associations to find a new home.
They also offer support while the young
people are re-settling, by teaching life skills
such as cooking, budgeting, health and
safety or making new friends.
As part of Nightstop’s mediation service,
volunteers also strengthen and rebuild
relationships between young people and
their families to prevent homelessness. This
service has had a 99 per cent success
rate so far.
Redditch Borough Council has worked
closely with Nightstop on its Inspire Project,
which gives young people the chance to
➤ Sandycroft Wellbeing Centre was given
£1,742 to support the development of
a nutrition awareness programme,
which is tailored towards the diets of
the Black Minority Ethnic community.
➤ The Polish Dinner Society was given
£2,000 to teach Polish children Polish
dancing, helping them to perform and
bring the generations and cultures
together.
➤ West Indian Society was given £2,000
for the provision of a luncheon club,
social activities and exercise for people
over the age of 50, primarily of African
and Caribbean descent.
➤ Caribbean Roots was given £2,000 to
enhance the Black History Month
celebrations.
➤ Rainbow Redditch was provisionally
offered £1,000 to hold a Mardi Gras
event.
➤ Romani Roots was given £2,000 to help
live securely in a shared private property in
Reddtich while they continue to study in fulltime
education.
Elise Hopkins, the Council’s Housing Options
Manager, said: “Redditch Nightstop has
become an important charity for the
borough helping young people who find
themselves without a place to stay, get
back on their feet.
“We have worked closely with Nightstop on
the Inspire Project to make sure that the
young people involved get support and
advice to live independently and move
into employment with the qualification they
need.”
The charity, which was awarded a National
Lottery Award Best Charity/Voluntary Project
2008, now needs more volunteer families
with spare rooms to provide safe
emergency accommodation.
To find out more about the charity call
Redditch Nightstop on (01527) 66036 or
visit www.redditchnightstop.co.uk.
support the launch of the POD - an
interactive computer pod which will
have details of local history, local
communities, groups, organisations,
and individuals of note within the
community in the past and present.
➤ British Asian Women's Group was
given £2,000 to provide local
women with an arena to experience
aspects of the British way of life and
promote values such as good health
and cultural education.
Matthew Bough, Housing Policy and
Local Strategic Partnership Manager,
said: "The Council is committed to
supporting organisations that deliver
projects and activities which have a
beneficial impact on the local
community."
For more information on the grants given
so far and to find out how to apply for
grants visit www.redditchbc.gov.uk and
click on Advice and Benefits.
Redditch Borough Council
Redditch matters 15