Dumfries based Charity SHAX has received a grant of £43,745 from Nationwide building Society, as part of their Community Grants programme, which brings their members and colleagues together to help tackle the housing crisis.
The funding will enable SHAX to help local people moving on from homelessness by providing emergency Home Starter Packs with the essentials they need to set up home. Demand for this service grows each year, with SHAX supporting 30% more individuals and families in crisis than this time last year.
SHAX emergency Home Starter Packs help local people and families to avoid the nightmare of moving into an empty house with nothing to sleep on, clean, cook or eat with – turning empty rooms into a home and place of basic comfort and security.
Joyce Harkness, Social Enterprise Manager at SHAX said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive the award from Nationwide, which will part-fund two of our staff team, help our volunteers increase their wellbeing and employability skills while supporting local people move on from homelessness. With demand increasing year on year and the cost of living making everything far more expensive to buy, Nationwide’s award will help SHAX continue to deliver our well-respected services.
Britain’s biggest building society has run its Community Grants programme since 2017 – offering grants of up to £60,000 to local charities and projects, particularly those focussed on housing. This year, it’s awarded a total of £5.1 million to 105 housing related projects across the UK.
Kirsty Hall, Social Investment Manager at Nationwide Building Society, said: “Helping local communities and charities is at the heart of what it means to be a building society for Nationwide. We are pleased our Community Grants programme is going to make a difference through this £grant to SHAX, helping them make a difference to the lives of those who rely on their services.”
Over the last six years, Nationwide Building Society has awarded £27 million to housing charities up and down the UK, helping make the lives better for almost 148,800 people.
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Photograph shows SHAX team members Hayley Ferguson and Joyce Harkness with Nationwide Dumfries Branch Manager Katriona Bailey and Scotland Community Branch member Judex Paul.
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