It was great to see the recent announcement that Stoke-on-Trent has been awarded £3.9 million to help homeless and vulnerable adults. This money have been given through the 'Changing Futures' programme. The Changing Futures programme is joint-funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and government.
With the award given, a Homeless Health Hub will be established to register homeless people with a GP so they can access treatment to support their needs. A new Workforce Centre for Excellence will also be set up to help train vulnerable adults with skills to help them gain employment.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Abi Brown described the funding as a 'huge boost'.
"During the pandemic, we worked to help homeless people off the streets and into safe and secure accommodation, with support to meet their needs.
"It's helped more than 300 people into sustainable long-term accommodation, and we pledged to do all we can to eradicate homelessness in our city.”
It is hoped that with this investment into our city, those who are homeless will not only be able to gain access to a GP, but increase their chances of employment. Stoke-on-Trent is without a doubt an ambitious city and I, along with other local leaders, have spoken about the need to increase business in our area. For this to be achieved, we need a local workforce to allow businesses to succeed.
This is a very positive investment in our city. With the work being done by both my colleagues in Westminster and the City Council, I have no doubts that this will be the one of many investments in our area.