£8k donation gives homeless charity a new direction

Published by SanH for Sanctuary Housing Association in Communities and also in Environment, Housing

Members of the Shekinah Mission, a Plymouth based homeless charity are celebrating, having received a donation of £8,000 from Sanctuary Housing.

Sanctuary’s significant investment has funded the purchase of a van, which will allow the Shekinah Mission to continue its hard work in the Plymouth area.

The Shekinah Mission provides help, training and support to homeless and socially disadvantaged people. Included are those suffering from addiction, ex-offenders, people with physical and mental health needs, the long-term unemployed, elderly and disabled.

Part of the Shekinah Mission, Shekinah Trading Ltd offers a range of services in construction, maintenance and deep cleaning. Its staff base is made-up of people who are homeless or have experienced homelessness.

Through an ongoing property clearance partnership with Sanctuary Housing, the Shekinah Mission offers opportunities for people to get back into work in a safe environment.

Steve Weymouth, business development manager, of the Shekinah Mission, said: “The donation to purchase a van for our social enterprise is invaluable to the growth of the business.

“It means that we can increase our work load for Sanctuary and open up more opportunities for paid employment for individuals that have experienced social exclusion.

“It shows how creative thinking and working between two different organisations that complement each other can make a huge difference to the communities that we serve.”

Richard Keeley, regional director of Sanctuary Housing, said: “Shekinah do a fantastic job and offer a great service to our residents and we plan to continue supporting them as they grow into a sustainable cleaning and clearance social enterprise.

“We support our local community through a range of social enterprises. Our partnership with the Shekinah Mission is one that we hope continues far into the future.”