Estimated Price

£4,950

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In relation to the identified priorities in the Guidance & Essential criteria what will your idea achieve and who will benefit from your project?

The project delivers targeted support and practical assistance to mitigate poverty, prevent homelessness, and strengthen individual wellbeing and socioeconomic outcomes in South Ayrshire. Anyone at risk of homelessness can be referred by partners or can self-refer and be assessed by the coordinator to be eligible for assistance through the project.

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Please describe what you plan to do and what the money will be used for? (i.e., purchase equipment/resources)

An award from the Financial Inclusion Fund will allow us to continue to operate a Flexible Frontline Fund which in the last financial year helped us increase the number of positive homeless prevention outcomes in South Ayrshire. Last year this emergency fund was accessible to our service users in the Private Rented Sector who were at risk of homelessness and needed urgent intervention, in this financial year we would like to broaden the eligibility criteria for the fund to include all tenures. Distribution of funds will be at the discretion of our support workers, overseen by our service coordinator to determine what the person needs and will directly impact on the prevention activities undertaken in their case.

Examples may include but are not limited to:

Person has identified and moved into alternative accommodation but has exhausted funds in removal costs etc and needs short term assistance to top up their electric/gas meters.

Person we are supporting has moved to a village location without mains gas, and is required to pay in advance to fill their oil tank for which there is no alternative energy support.

Person we are supporting has been able to access alternative accommodation but needs some assistance to top up their deposit/rent in advance/pay for removal costs to secure the accommodation and directly prevent homelessness and is unable to wait for the outcome of DHP for fear of losing the offered property.

Person we are supporting has lost/damaged their mobile phone which prevents them from engaging with essential support/adhering to Universal Credit claimant commitment etc. This would allow us to replace the phone to ensure we can continue to engage with them and link them in with other key services. We can supply a SIM card with 6 months call time and data through our partnership with Vodafone.

Person is at risk of eviction due to condition of tenancy / hoarding. This would allow us to access specialist cleaning / clearing / support where there are no alternatives available from other agencies.

Giving people the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty by assisting with funding not available through statutory sources,  which would allow a person to access training or employment opportunities through assisting with certification, renewal of construction cards etc.