Karibu are a group of 40 African women asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow, who aim to overcome financial exclusion and fight against poverty and promote integration. They will use their award to add to their revolving Loan Fund – which gives up to £50 per person to help purchase essential items and pay off bills. Karibu has already generated £520 towards this fund as 13 members have contributed £2 a week each for 20 weeks.
New Comers Writers Collective: £500
The New Comers Writers Collective are a group of writers with experience of homelessness who have got together to write a book. They will use the grant to produce 250 copies of the book, which they will then sell, using the proceeds to invest in future publications. They hope the impact of producing the book will increase the self esteem of the authors, prove to the general public the talents that homeless people have to offer and inspire other creative homeless people to join the London –based collective.
Foundations: £500
Foundations are the Residents Group of Dismas House, an ex-offenders hostel in Belfast. They will use their award to create a communal garden in the hostel by purchasing wood and fittings to make a bench area, and soil, seeds and tools to plant and tender a garden. Creating the garden will not only increase individuals self esteem and skills, but will encourage residents to work as a team.
Community Arts Network: £485
Community Arts Network are a group of homeless artists who have been meeting informally and are now creating a formal network. They will use their grant to run six sessions to plan and implement the development of a website which will be used to showcase and sell their work. The grant will also pay for the domain registration and website hosting for a year. A key aim of the group is to demonstrate the uniqueness and strength of creativity from artists with experience of homelessness – addressing the need for a user led independent platform for homeless artists.
Fire Fly Housing Co-op : £500
A group of homeless and ex-homeless people in Leicester have come together to form the Fire Fly Housing Co-op to provide affordable housing, take control of their own housing situation and to have a property that can be used as a resource centre. The group will use the grant to pay for Co-op Registration, a year of service payments to Radical Routes and publicity material to advertise for loanstock investment.
Derby Homeless Forum : £500
Derby Homeless Forum are Derby’s only User–Led homeless organisation. They will use their award to continue to run weekly meetings. Recent achievements include 91 homeless people attending meetings last year, running a Speakout and consulting with the Primary Care Trust on tackling health inequalities. They hope to build on these successes to ensure that the voice of homeless people has an impact on homelessness policy in Derby.
Reel: £500
Reel is a purpose built mobile cinema dedicated to the promotion of independent films and documentaries. It will take its films and workshops into excluded communities. Reel is run by a group of Travellers with the support of Plymouth University visual arts department and the British Transport Trust. The grant will be used to pay for paint and seating to renovate the Reel cinema bus.
Our Allottment Club: £500
Our Allotment Club are a group of homeless people supported by West Country Housing Association who come together at weekly meetings to tend their allotment. They will use their grant to purchase a 14’ x 8’ greenhouse to enable them to continue gardening all year round.
SELF: £500
Surviving The Effects of Living in Fear (SELF) are the residents group at Hawthorn House Women’s Refuge in Wigan. They ware using their award to buy a computer and printer. This will be used to be involved consultation and feedback to agencies who provide services to women fleeing domestic abuse. They have also put in applications to other funders to pay for computer courses for the group.
