Durham homelessness charity digging in for local young people

A longstanding North East homelessness charity will be opening up new outdoor opportunities for local young people thanks to funding from a regional employer.

Moving On Durham works with vulnerable young people across the county who are facing issues relating to homelessness and aims to help them take their first steps towards living independently.

The charity is currently converting a former social club in Croxdale into its first supported accommodation facility for 16-18 year-olds.

Three overgrown allotments that were discovered in the grounds of the property are being cleared as part of the project – and now, thanks to a £2,000 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund, Moving On Durham will be giving its new residents the chance to work together tending the new garden and growing their own crops.

The grant is paying for raised beds to be installed in the garden, as well as the tools and equipment required to work on them and an outdoor activities programme that will help the residents gain self-confidence and new skills.

Small engagement events are also being planned for later in the year to help bring residents and the local community together.

Headquartered in Framwellgate Moor, Moving On Durham was set up in the late 1980s as a partnership between Durham Churches Group and Durham City Youth Project to help address concerns about the poor provision of homeless support and supported lodgings in the city.

Its remit has gradually expanded to cover information, advice, guidance and training services, and it now manages around 170 properties across the county which enable it to provide supported accommodation for over 200 young people every year.

The new Croxdale facility will be able to accommodate up to eight residents at a time when it opens, with the 24/7 on-site support available from qualified staff.

Moving On Durham chief executive Peter Richards says: “Starting to live independently is a tough enough challenge for anyone, but when you lack the family support network that most of us take for granted, which many of our young people do, it can be so much harder.

“We aim to give these young people the chance to find their feet with whatever support they require, to help them if they encounter problems and to equip them with the skills and knowledge they will need to thrive as they move into adulthood.

“Our new Croxdale facility will give some of our youngest service users a solid base on which they can build their lives, with expert staff on hand at all times to help them do so.

“The garden will be a really important part of the project, whether for making new friendships while working alongside their peers or simply as a relaxing space in which they can spend some time whenever they want to.

“The support that Banks is providing has made this project possible and we’re looking forward to getting outside later in the year.”

Banks Property is the business behind a new residential development in Tudhoe, which will see around 350 new homes being built on a 15-hectare site off York Hill Road, including a 15 per cent allocation of affordable housing.

Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “Moving On Durham’s comprehensive approach to dealing with local homelessness issues makes both a short and long-term difference to the quality of life that their young tenants can enjoy.

“Everyone knows the positive impact that spending time outdoors can have on their sense of well-being and we hope the new Croxdale residents will enjoy working on their new garden.”

The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).

Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via its website enquiry form (www.banksgroup.co.uk/contact-us/) to find out if their group or project is eligible.