Manchester-based charity, the Booth Centre, has been ramping its services back up to pre-pandemic levels thanks to fundraising support from the local community.
The Booth Centre offers people affected by homelessness the opportunity to gain a purpose and rebuild their lives, by providing a programme of activities including volunteering, creative projects and sports, as well as training and help to gain employment.
It also helps people to improve their health and wellbeing, to access emergency accommodation, and to secure and maintain a permanent home. The centre is run in partnership with the people who attend, enabling them to apply their skills and experience to influence strategic change.
In recent months, the Booth Centre has been able to double the number of daily activities it offers and the number of people receiving hot food and drinks, greatly increasing its reach, in part thanks to a £20,000 donation from The Equilibrium Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Handforth-based Equilibrium Financial Planning.
Offered as unrestricted funding, the donation has helped to fund the breadth of the Booth Centre’s offerings, ensuring it can continue to meet the varied needs of as many people impacted by homelessness as possible.
The Booth Centre also takes a lead role in the Manchester Homelessness Partnership, a network of organisations which formed to work together to end homelessness in all its forms in Manchester.
Amy Blair, acting head of fundraising at The Booth Centre, said “We would like to give a huge thanks to everyone who has supported the Booth Centre, including the Equilibrium Foundation. Thanks to people’s generosity we have had a lovely start to the year and been able to help a growing number of people.
“Following the challenges of the pandemic, we are now facing a cost-of-living crisis and the end of the ban on evictions, making our work more crucial than ever. Only with the support of the community can we continue to help people affected by homelessness to rebuild their lives, while also playing a strategic role in the sector, striving to end homelessness in Manchester.”
Debbie Jukes, partner and head of client care at Equilibrium Financial Planning, said “Homelessness can affect almost anyone at any time in their life, and can look very different for each individual. The Booth Centre’s open door service means it welcomes anyone who finds themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness, providing invaluable help and advice. We are really pleased that our contribution has helped them to continue this incredibly important work.”
