Business chief donates £60,000 to help rough sleepers in West Midlands
HomeServe chief executive and founder Richard Harpin has donated a £60,000 package of aid to help rough sleepers in the West Midlands during the coronavirus crisis.
The cash comes from his personal charity and think tank The Enterprise Trust and will be evenly divided – £12,000 each – between five local authority areas: Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall and Coventry.
It will be put towards helping the homeless into accommodation where they will be safe and can build independent lives. In Wolverhampton it will be administered by the homeless hub and food service The Good Shepherd in Waterloo Road.
Walsall-based HomeServe has also pledged to send an engineer, free of charge, to the homes of NHS and social care workers in need of emergency repairs over lockdown.
The Good Shepherd will use the money to help vulnerable individuals find accommodation and potentially training opportunities towards leading a self-sufficient life.
In Walsall it is going to Change into Action.
Mr Harpin said: “Even in more normal times, local authorities are stretched beyond their means and the coronavirus pandemic, which has inflicted an unprecedented strain on resources, will undoubtedly lead to vulnerable members of society being put at even greater risk.
“Donations are critical to not only offer emergency support now, but influence long-lasting changes so that people can be helped to access permanent housing and support, creating better life opportunities for themselves into the future.”
In Wolverhampton many rough sleepers are currently being looked after in emergency accommodation thanks to the City of Wolverhampton Council as part of a Government initiative to help during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tom Hayden, head of operations at the Good Shepherd, said: “This is a very generous donation from Richard and the Enterprise Trust, particularly at a time when we are losing out on regular sources of fundraising income due to the current health crisis.
“The money will be used to secure private rented accommodation for rough sleepers currently in emergency accommodation and provide starter packs, kettles, toasters and bedding to make their new house a home.
“With the help of our Housing Support Officer Tina, we have already managed to house four people which is particularly important at a time when people are being encouraged to carry out social distancing and stay at home.
“The donation will also be used as an individual fund to purchase mobile phones, pay for gas and electric and for other essential items.
“The Good Shepherd will work with the 70 people currently in emergency accommodation as well as engaging people who fall into rough sleeping and homelessness during the outbreak.”
The Good Shepherd has helped more than 1,000 people during the last 12 months, and the number of people visiting for daily take-out food has risen dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic, regularly in excess of 170.
Tom added: “We work with the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the city and are seeing more individuals and families come for support with food at a time when many of our usual sources of fundraising such as events have been badly affected.
“So we just want to say a big thank you for this donation, which will have such a positive impact on the people that we support.”
The Enterprise Trust was launched in 2011 by Mr Harpin and is run by Helen Booth and aims to create an impact and leave a legacy by helping individuals from all backgrounds to realise their potential as independent wealth generators. In 2020 the charity launched a research arm to extend its reach and provide important insight, new thinking and evidence-based problem-solving around the key issues affecting the UK’s small business community
