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About Bedford Homeless Partnership

 

Government statistics show nationally rough sleeping has increased by over 60% during the decade.

We know figures from the annual count only represent a small proportion of how many people are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in the UK. Many people are sofa surfing, staying with friends and family, remaining in abusive households and living in unsecure or poor-quality accommodation and are unaccounted for during the annual one-night headcount which takes place in Autumn each year.
In 2018 we discovered that Bedford has the 8th highest number of rough sleepers in the whole of England (per population size); for a small town this is a big problem. However, Bedford is also the most generous town in the whole of the UK. As a town we’re blessed with having a number of excellent services for the homeless run by people who are moved with compassion to support those struggling with poverty and homelessness. That is why our Partnership and Real Change Fund exist, to support those most vulnerable in our community.
 

Who are the Bedford Homeless Partnership?

The Bedford Homeless Partnership is a partnership group, who operate under charity CVS Bedfordshire and who are funded by The Harpur Trust. Within the partnership there are multiple organisations who work together to tackle issues around homelessness in Bedford Borough. For the full list of those in our Partnership please download the Bedford Homeless Partnership list. If you wish to become a member, please contact us.
 

Who are the Bedford Homeless Partnership Executive Committee team?

Our partnership is maintained by those in the Bedford Homeless Partnership Executive Committee team. These are 10 members of varying organisations offering different types of homeless services who come together every two months to discuss topics such as best practice, improvements and efficiencies, government policies that effect homelessness and collaboration. 
At present those in the Executive Committee are:

                             

 

Purpose of the Bedford Homeless Partnership

The Members share a common desire to work towards the achievement in Bedford of BHP’s strategic aims, which are:
1. To bring together service providers, stakeholders and other interested parties from the public, private and voluntary sector, to share information and work together to make best use of existing and proposed resources.
2. To keep the needs of the individuals we are working with at the forefront and seeking to work cohesively to see positive change occur in people’s lives.
3. To collaborate to improve services to existing and potential users of services with the aim of preventing and reducing homelessness in Bedford Borough.
4. To hold a regular conference to share information, provide training and discuss updates and issues relevant to improving outcomes and furthering the aim of the member groups and organisations (currently these are held virtually every 2 months).
5. To keep under review, the organisation and format of the conference to ensure that it remains relevant to the needs of its members and achieves improved outcomes for the benefit of users of services.
Membership of the BHP brings new opportunities for sharing best practice, learning from other partners and utilising information from the Inter-Agency Lead. Together, we can aware of funding opportunities and development within the sector. Details of members’ organisations are posted on the Bedford Homeless website, and events and any external activities will be publicised via the Partnerships Facebook, Twitter or Instagram channel.

 

The Bedford Homeless Directory

The ability to be featured in our directory, and also highlighted on our social channels is open to ALL charitable groups and organisations who are involved in the service delivery supporting those who are without a home, or at risk of being without a home in Bedford. We do not believe that one organisation has all of the answers, or that there should be a one-size-fits-all approach to homeless support. We recognise that the issues that cause someone to become homeless are often complex and we believe that as different charities and groups unite together to offer a full range of supportive services we’ll be getting closer to our aim of ending homelessness in Bedford.
A Resource for the Public and Professionals
The issue of homelessness is often hidden, and when someone encounters it they don’t always know who to turn to for help. The vision of the Bedford Homeless Directory is to provide a free resource for members of the public and professionals alike, to be able to find both the excellent services and passionate people who can help the homeless as well as those at risk of homelessness in Bedford in times of crisis. 
Best Practice Guide
We have now adopted a “Best Practice Guide” across the sector, which we recommend all partners agree to, in order to best support people experiencing homelessness.  Please click here to see the Best Practice Guide for homeless charity work in Bedford.
Up-to-date Information
We’re passionate about keeping this service directory as relevant and current as possible. If you see any incorrect information, or a service you know about that isn’t listed here, please contact us so that we can accurately highlight all of the amazing work that’s happening across Bedford.

 

Grants for our charities

Our charities are able to claim up to £1000 towards supporting the clients who are struggling financially. Grants can be used to make claims to support people with moving into more permanet housing such as buying them white-goods, or can help the charity internally with things like homelessness law training.
As long as you can prove your funding is going towards supporting local homeless clients move towards living independently again then you can apply for support. If you're a charity who is part of our partnership list and in need of extra financial support to assist your clients then please download the #RealChangeBedford Fund small Grants form to secure your funding today.
Completed forms should be sent to: Martin Trinder, CVS Bedfordshire, 43 Bromham Road, Bedford MK40 2AA  / martin@cvsbeds.org.uk