YMCA Birkenhead receives cash boost during COVID-19 crisis

YMCA Wirral, a local charity that offers supported accommodation for homeless people across the region, was delighted to receive a donation of £4,335 from the Morrisons Foundation.

The funding awarded by the charitable arm of the supermarket will furnish and equip five bed spaces at their accommodation facility in Birkenhead. 

The grant has allowed the charity to buy bedroom furniture, lockable storage and soft furnishings as well as making necessary renovations to one of the rooms to make it fully accessible.

Jill Carter, Fundraiser at YMCA Wirral explains, “At the start of the Covid pandemic, the Homeless Reduction Act saw the closure of our emergency night shelter and the opening of an early intervention 24-hour homeless triage service. 

“Since opening the homeless triage, it became apparent that a small number of triaged clients cannot safely be allocated a place in a hostel or B&B without intensive support before transferring them into temporary accommodation”

“To meet the demand for this specialist supported accommodation we reached out to the Morrisons Foundation to help us to reconfigure the existing ground floor meeting space to create five new bed spaces with one room to provide a disabled provision. 

“We are very grateful for their support and the new temporary accommodation facility will make a massive impact on our activities”

David Scott, Morrisons Foundation Trustee said, “The Foundation is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society and we know that the coronavirus outbreak continues to present a particular risk to homeless people. We are absolutely delighted to be able to provide this vital support.”

The Morrisons Foundation was set up by Morrisons supermarket in 2015 and awards grants for charity projects which help improve people’s lives.  Since launching over £32 million has been donated to hundreds of charities across England, Scotland and Wales.