Derventio secures three funding streams to help people’s futures

Leaders of Derventio have voiced their delight after securing three highly valued funding streams which will help support some of the most vulnerable people in the county.

Derventio Housing Trust, which provides housing with support to 1200 people across five UK counties every year – including more than 340 people in Derby alone – says the secured funding for its Growing Lives, Home4Me and Healthy Futures projects will support some of those most in need to hope for a brighter future.

All three funding streams are used in different areas of Derbyshire to provide a range of support including drug and alcohol recovery; employability support; and housing for those who would otherwise be on the streets, as well as those discharged from hospital who would have nowhere to go without support.

Jackie Carpenter, assistant director of strategy for Derventio Housing Trust, said:

We’re delighted to have secured these three funding streams which will help us support people going through some of the toughest times imaginable. Those people we help through these grants have come through some terrible times and we are pleased to be able to continue offering help.

People who come to us may be living on the streets; often, they are struggling with drug and alcohol use and may have come from some very troubled backgrounds, growing up in care or neglected from a young age. Through support from a dedicated housing and support officers, we aim to help everyone in Derventio Housing to a more positive future.

Derventio Housing Trust has been awarded two years GRID (Growing Recovery in Derbyshire) funding through Derbyshire County Council. This money helps to pay for Derventio’s highly valued Growing Lives project in Ilkeston, which runs a range of support for people including help with drug and alcohol use, craft activities, a woodworking room, bike club, gardening, computers, weekly walks and a hot midday meal.

The funding is currently supporting 14 people, and also includes help with employability. One person has been helped secure a cleaning job through the project; four are actively applying for jobs and two are undertaking skills courses to help them into work.

Derventio has also secured another year’s funding from Derby Homes for its Home4Me project and The Bridge, which provide 24 bed spaces of accommodation to those facing the biggest barriers. All have been referred by the street outreach team in Derby, putting people straight from the streets into housing.

Last year, Home4Me and The Bridge helped 60 people, all of whom experience multiple overlapping challenges: as well as homelessness, most had poor mental health and for many years had been in a chaotic lifestyle.

It is a significant achievement that nearly half of those supported through this funding stream moved on in a positive way to other supported housing, including their own tenancy or moving in with a partner.

The third project, which has been supported by Chesterfield Borough Council for another year, is Healthy Futures, providing housing for 20 people – supported by a housing and support specialist – for people discharged from hospital who would otherwise have nowhere to go.

All of those supported through Healthy Futures suffer with mental ill health; a quarter have a learning disability; a quarter are neurodivergent, and 10 per cent have had experience of growing up in care. Jackie said:

People from a wide range of backgrounds have been able to access support from Derventio Housing Trust over the years we have operated. These three funding streams help us support some of those facing the most severe challenges and it’s good to know we can carry on doing so while these grants are in place. We hope to be able to continue running these projects for as long as they are supported by these grant-making bodies.