The Steve Morgan Foundation has provided a funding grant to a community project which provides innovative, person-centred support to rough sleepers and homeless people in Wrexham.

The Foundation has made a donation of £14,027 which, with funding from other charities and the local Health Board, has seen £88,244 worth of investment ploughed into the Wrexham Community Care Hub.

Jane Harris, Director of Regional Grants with the Steve Morgan Foundation, visited one of the Community Hub’s regular sessions to officially hand over the cheque to the charity which is part of the Wrexham Community Care Collaborative.

The Community Care Collaborative (CCC), led by Dr Karen Sankey, established the Wrexham Homeless Hub in 2017. 

The Hub, delivered in partnership with the Salvation Army and the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW) helps up to 75 people every week and, since 1^st January 2018, has received 1,847 client visits. 

The Hub uses an ‘Everyone in the Room’ approach, which makes it a unique and indispensable resource for the town, bringing together many different agencies providing services for homeless people to access.

This method means problems are resolved and queries are answered much faster and prevents people being shunted from pillar to post, unable to get the help they need when they need it. 

The agencies attending regularly include the BCUHB mental health team, Job Centre Plus and housing and homelessness charities.

“This approach really does work and what may typically take two months can literally take two minutes at the hub because all the concerned parties are in one place and working together,” says Jane.

“The current model is working primarily with homeless and rough sleepers and learning-disabled adults, but it is planned to roll it out to include services on different days for specific conditions and situations, such as those affected by cancer, sensory impairment, dementia, autism, depression, post-natal depression, carers as well as frequent attenders and the socially isolated.

“It is a charity which brings clear benefit to so many of people that the Steve Morgan Foundation seeks to support.

“The Trustees recognised the valuable work which the Wrexham Homeless Hub is undertaking and appreciated its all-round approach.

“We are delighted to be making this funding award to help the charity continue the development of its work within the local community which it is serving.”

The Hub is also employing three Care Navigators, all of whom were previously volunteers.

One of them, Sam, was known to the Steve Morgan Foundation having also helped at the Wrexham Warehouse Project, and his volunteering not only landed him the Care Navigator role but also a night job at Wrexham Hospital.