Lancaster homeless service launches fundraising campaign to see it through Covid pandemic

Lancaster and District Homeless Action Service Ltd is looking for support from the public to help it through the coronavirus pandemic.

As we reported last month, the continued importance of the Edward Street homeless centre has been shown during the Covid-19 crisis as people have continued to come through its doors for help.

And they expect numbers to rise once the government's furlough scheme ends.

But they are now having to seek extra support to keep running the service.

Jim Robinson from fundraising and development at the centre, said: "We’re in need of donations to continue providing essential services, ranging from health and wellbeing to casework support.

"Covid and the lockdown have increased the strain on poverty and homelessness charities like us. Despite an eviction ban, many landlords throughout the UK are able to evict occupants through loopholes (such as claiming “antisocial behaviour”).

"As a result, many of our current clients, often using our centre every day, have very complex mental, physical, and financial needs."

The LDHAS provides essential needs and services for those in housing poverty and those suffering homelessness in the Lancaster district area.

As well as typical core costs, they also require urgent funding to cover new rising costs as Covid increases the strain on those in poverty.

They are looking for funding to help their health support services, food and drink, and shower/hygiene facilities (especially important during the pandemic), repairs to their building to ensure they can conduct their work safely, casework and advocacy support enabling them to work directly with external drug and alcohol services and health professionals, and also their long-term relocation project.

The fundraiser can be found online here