Three Manchester-based organisations, including award-winning housing organisation Bedspace, property management company Urbanbubble and Standing Tall – a charity that aims to end homelessness, are joining forces to help homeless and vulnerable people in the city get back on their feet.
As part of the partnership, Bedspace is providing Bruce, who has been homeless for three years, with six months’ rent-free accommodation in a one-bed flat in Manchester.
Standing Tall works alongside people experiencing homelessness and matches them with employment opportunities. By working with Standing Tall, Urbanbubble has appointed Bruce as a Residential Receptionist at one of its residential properties in the city.
As part of his role, Bruce looks after all of the residents in the property, drawing on his previous experience in people-facing and customer service roles as a B&B manager and as a member of catering staff.
Bedspace is passionate about providing more than just a roof to those it supports, and is dedicated to guiding the vulnerable people it works with on their journey through to independence, with life skills and a flexible support pathway.
The new partnership is part of Bedspace’s wider pledge to support more vulnerable people in the communities it operates in as it looks to grow its services. Its ambitions include a pledge to take on 100 new staff members across the UK in the next two years, and plans to bolster its property portfolio of 500 homes by 40 per cent in the next three years, so that it can transform the lives of more vulnerable people.
The news coincides with Bedspace’s first children’s home receiving Ofsted approval, in line with its move into the children’s residential sector to support vulnerable people from a younger age. As part of the move, Bedspace has ambitions to open five children’s home in five years.
Nick Thornhill, Managing Director at Bedspace, commented: “At Bedspace, we have supported over 20,000 vulnerable people, and are constantly striving to expand our services and support offering to transform more lives. Partnering with other like-minded charities and organisations that share a vision of helping those who need it most, is just one of the ways that we can make more of a difference.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Standing Tall and Urbanbubble to provide Bruce with the support he needs to get back on his feet. This partnership is just the start of our efforts to transform the lives of even more vulnerable people through our holistic approach to support.”
Edward Radford at Standing Tall, added: “The partnership between Bedspace, Standing Tall and Urbanbubble is a shining example of how organisations can work together to make a real impact and complement each other’s services.
“It has been fantastic to see the impact that we have made on Bruce, who is now almost a month into his new job and is loving it. We’ve noticed a massive shift in his mindset; whilst he has always been a positive person, his belief in his own ability has come on leaps and bounds since we have offered our support.
“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Bruce, who is the first of many in Manchester to leave homelessness behind for good!”
