Alternative Giving Supports Wolverhampton’s Most Vulnerable and Homeless People

 Alternative Giving Supports Wolverhampton’s Most Vulnerable and Homeless People.

The Alternative Giving CIO was delighted to award funding grants totalling £17,000 to six Wolverhampton-based charities and organisations in May 2023 to help provide vital support to protect the city’s most vulnerable and homeless people.

Alternative Giving CIO is now pleased to share an update from the six organisations on how the much-needed funding has supported their projects.

The aim of the funding was to help ease the pressures on local organisations and charities that support people out of, or on the brink of homelessness. The number of people seeking support from these organisations has increased due to the implications of the increased cost of living.

The Alternative Giving CIO receives most of its funds from generous public donations collected at its 16 donation points in city centre businesses and via its two ‘Tap to Donate’ points located close to the city centre’s bus station and at Wolverhampton train station. 

Each of the organisations that received funding provided an insight into how the funding has helped deliver essential support and services:

Good Shepherd thanks to Alternate Giving CIO we were able to kickstart our group activities for our service users. Funding also paid for a staff member to facilitate the groups which enabled us to run all the groups. Which included fishing trips and weekly art activities. We have been able to provide our clients with starter packs of art materials so that they can keep making art when at home. We meet weekly at the New Hampton Arts Centre and have access to a beautiful arts studio. Art created by our clients will feature in this year's calendar which is our clients' way of giving back to The Good Shepherd through fundraising with their art.

The Haven every year we support approximately 550 women and children in our anonymously located refuges and safe accommodation across Wolverhampton, so items particularly in communal areas have significant use and need to be replaced on a regular basis. Your donation has helped us to ensure that these emergency homes for women and children who have been subjected to domestic abuse are equipped with everything they need from new bedding sets to kitchen utensils. Without the generosity of trusts, foundations and organisations like the Alternative Giving CIO, we could not provide such homely and welcoming spaces or hope to achieve such transformational outcomes for women and children subjected to domestic abuse. We are incredibly grateful for your support and on behalf of all of the women and children who have benefitted from your support and who will continue to benefit, thank you very much.

P3 Navigator received a £2000 donation from Alternative Giving CIO. This has enabled the team to provide support to 82 people, with the funding being used for supporting people with mobile phones which has facilitated them making/keeping in contact with their homeless/housing applications. Emergency accommodation and support to move into them into more secure accommodation and support to purchase white goods and furniture-essential items for new properties. People were supported with funding for travel costs to their new accommodation and essential clothing was provided for those who needed them.

Peter Bilson House are very grateful for the above funding, which we were immediately able to put into good use for the residents of Peter Bilson House. Residents have been supported/provided with essential items including duvets, bedding, Kitchen items, storage items and sofas. People were able to have access to essential/important items that they ordinarily would not consider purchasing due to having no funds. People were supported with clothing and basic necessities who accessed the emergency provision with little/no clothing. Using funding for these items has contributed to providing a safe and positive living environment.

St Georges HUB received funding from Alternative Giving CIO to replace our old computer desktops. This has made a substantial difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable men in the city.  Put simply, these desktops are a lifeline to an outside world that is increasingly moving online and remote. As a result, with the funding we have been able to reduce digital exclusion. Whether it is complying with Universal Credit, paying council tax, searching for employment or learning new skills, access to computers is vital to feeling part of the wider community. Being able to access computers at St. George’s House Charity has delivered practical results for a considerable number of vulnerable men.  

TNB Connect thank you to Alternative Giving CIO for funding our project ‘Empower’, we were able to help assist and support 37 transgenders/nonbinary (LGBT+) individuals across the Wolverhampton with items such as food, clothing and electricity. All individuals we spoke to explain the detrimental effect of the current living cost rises but also the discrimination in workplaces forcing individuals to leave their jobs as well as lack of opportunities to become employed. 

Cherry Shine, Charity Trustee said, ‘We are delighted to see how the funding has supported our Wolverhampton charity partners and how it has been used to help the most vulnerable people in our community.

‘Since the Alternative Giving charity launched in 2018 it has raised over £53,600 and supported local charities working with our most vulnerable people presenting as homeless in Wolverhampton.’

To learn more about the ways to donate to the Alternative Giving CIO or find volunteering opportunities please visit www.wolverhamptonchange.co.uk.

Alternative Giving CIO Registered Charity No. 1186415 formed by Wolverhampton BID, City of Wolverhampton Council and Wolverhampton Homes with a charitable aim to support vulnerable and homeless people in Wolverhampton.

Please visit www.wolverhamptonchange.co.uk.

For further information, please contact: 

Cherry Shine or Jo Leek

Contact details – 01902 710903 – Available Mon – Fri, 9am to 5pm

Email – cherry@wolverhamptonbid.co.uk or jo@wolverhamptonbid.co.uk