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£2.8m flats open for homeless and vulnerable women

A charity has opened 15 new flats for vulnerable women who have experienced homelessness to help them “rebuild their lives” after trauma.

Homelessness charity Framework purchased an old church site in Nottingham, which belonged to the Anglican Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, and has built the purpose-built accommodation in its place.

The accommodation, called Grove House, will provide women with their own flats with 24/7 dedicated and tailored support from staff on site.

A bedroom in a flat at Grove House LDRS

Staff will offer training and access to education and employment in a bid to help “extremely vulnerable” women improve the quality of their lives and regain their independence.

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Chief executive of Framework, Andrew Redfern said: “They will have not just a roof over their head, but the opportunity to build an independent life, get training, and access specialist services they need to become more independent and eventually move on to manage their own home.

Andrew Redfer ongoing Framework CEO LDRS
Andrew Redfern

“What we have to remember is it is not just about the buildings, and we need to treat each individual as an individual, and each has their own story and future, and to built a set of interventions around that in partnership with them.”

Each flat features a kitchen and living room area, a toilet, and a bedroom, as well as a peaceful outdoor garden area surrounded by trees and greenery.

The garden at Grove House LDRS

Mark Garner, operations manager for Framework, said this was important to create a “calming” space for residents.

“We are aiming to offer accommodation and support to women who have experienced severe and multiple disadvantage,” he added.

Mark Garner operations manager for Framework LDRS
Mark Garner

“That could be a combination of factors, typically including survivors of sexual and domestic violence. They might have struggled with mental health and well-being, could have had substance misuse issues, might have had contact with the criminal justice system in the past.

“All of the people in here with have experienced homelessness in its various forms. The idea really is this is the final step on a journey where we can give the residents safe, supportive, and therapeutic accommodation.

“It’s a beautiful building, a beautiful space. Quite often when people come off the streets they have very little choice about where they go, and we do the best with what we have got.

The living room in one of the flats at Grove House LDRS

“But here we’ve got a brand-new, purpose-built building – where in the design process we’ve been able to think about what is good from a therapeutic, psychological point of view.

“Sometimes there are huge hostels in parts of the country with 50, 60, 70 people in, and that’s not conducive with that calmness and ability to access support we are able to here.

“People will have their own front door they can close if they want. There are grounds, gardens, there are communal areas where we are going to have a lot of therapeutic activities taking place, so there is a real emphasis on comfort and calmness and working on the issues to help people move on.”

The scheme has been part-funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP).

The project cost £2.8m, with around £1m coming from Framework and £1.8m from the Government. Nottingham City Council also assisted with the bid, Mr Redfern said.

Alex Norris, Labour MP from Nottingham North and Kimberley and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the MHCLG, attended the opening event on Friday (May 23).

He said: “I’m very proud to be the local MP and we want ours to be a community where people from all backgrounds, sometimes living with challenges, can come and build a life and can thrive – and I think this really is that in manifestation.”

 

 

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