Homebuilder funds Staffordshire homelessness charity’s emergency food stock for one year
Stoke-on-Trent homelessness specialist Concrete has received a donation of £1,500 from Barratt Homes to stock its emergency food pantry for the homeless for 12 months.
Concrete, which is part of Honeycomb Group and located near Barratt Homes’ Waterside development in Trentham, delivers specialist homelessness support across Stoke-on-Trent and Cheshire East, including supported accommodation and tenancy sustainment for men, women and young people.
Dean Marsh, Senior Operations Manager at Concrete, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Barratt Homes for their generous donation. Thanks to their support, we’ll be able to keep our emergency food pantry stocked for over 12 months, ensuring our customers have continued access to essential food and non-perishable items.
“At Concrete, we are proud to have implemented a range of groundbreaking 24/7 support initiatives, including our newly launched adapted accommodation for disabled men affected by homelessness.
“We also offer a variety of services tailored to local needs, including support for individuals impacted by substance misuse, the LGBTQ+ community, and peer mentoring opportunities. These initiatives ensure that the voices of those with lived experience help shape our services and provide meaningful support to our current customers.”
Concrete is part of Honeycomb Group, which provides a variety of different services to nearby residents. This includes support for those impacted by homelessness, alongside affordable housing schemes, support for domestic abuse victims and safety and wellbeing checks.
Concrete currently provides secure accommodation for over 150 people, in addition to specialist floating support to more than 100.
Dean continued: “As a charitable service, it’s donations like this that enable our teams to provide our customers with all of those ‘extras’. This includes our food pantry being fully stocked – with not just essential items, but treats too – exciting days out, special celebrations and lots more.
“It’s support from organisations like Barratt Homes that helps us achieve this, and we thank them for helping us work towards our goal of making homelessness history.”
Barratt Homes’ donation came from its Community Fund scheme via The Barratt Redrow Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates.
Rhys Nicholson, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “We are proud to support Concrete and its continued role in supporting the homeless and vulnerable community in Stoke-on-Trent.
“It’s a fantastic charitable service that provides much needed assistance to those in need, and we hope that it can continue to provide these invaluable services.”
To find out more about the charity and its services, visit its website at: thisisconcrete.org.uk
