As part of the Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network (GMHAN), we have been working with Shared Health Foundation to understand the issues faced by families who become homeless and are placed out of their area.

Among many challenges, there is a shortage of support workers - often a long delay to be placed with someone who can offer in person advice and support, and then intermittent visits as the workers have a large number of families to support at once. To understand more about the issues faced, download the Shared Health report.

While possible solutions are being looked at a combined authority and local authority level, we are responding at a network / grassroots level with a new project, aimed at providing support to families through a mix of places where people can go, a network of volunteers to offer information and a friendly welcome, and an online resource specific to families to guide people where to find services and support locally, including activities for children, grants for school uniforms, after school clubs etc. This project will likely start in North Manchester as a trial and then expand across Greater Manchester as we learn and improve what is offered.

Working with the GMHAN Faith Network, Places of Welcome, and Shared Health, we need to co-design and develop a family specific section on streetsupport.net with targeted information and advice, and easy ways to find relevant services and resources near to where someone is placed. To do this, we need to resource the design, development and testing of the new features, and we need your help.

We have raised £1500 through local business fundraisers, and need another £4500 to fund the project. Can you help?