FUNDING FOR THE HUB

Charities are encouraged to find sustainable sources of income so that they are not constantly looking for grants and donations. That sort of income can come from selling something or charging for something or bidding for contracts to provide a service. None of this is really realistic for the Hub unless we were to open a charity shop or a cafe - but we might need large grants to do this and this area is already saturated with these two commodities.

So each year we approach the few grant-making organisations that include homeless people in their priority list. Most of them prefer to help new organisations to start up or projects to be launched than to keep committing their funds year after year to cover the core costs of rent, salaries and utilities that are so necessary for us to continue to serve and to grow.

The Hub has been very fortunate to have developed a good relationship with a few charitable trusts, based on its ability to deliver a good service at minimum cost. These are the Valentine Trust, the Alice Ellen Cooper Dean Charitable Trust, the Hilden Foundation and the Roberts Trust - all of these have helped the Hub with several thousand pounds for more than one year and together they form the basis of our main income this year.

Some charitable trusts make small grants of about £500 for specific items and the Hub is always pleased to get such help - the Lions in the early days, Hall and Woodhouse last year and the Leonard Laity Stoat charity this year, as well as Dorchester Town Council. These grants are spent on maintaining and renewing appliances, the computer and kitchen equipment.

The Lottery is now everyone's first thought when thinking of grants for charitable work and indeed the Hub's first three years were partially funded by a Lottery Community Grant. Since 2002, the Hub has also received three Awards for All grants, including one for over £7,000 this current year for the resettlement work. To make an application for a larger Lottery grant, tremendous preparation has to be made and the Hub trustees are exploring how to make a good one for next year

The Housing Department of West Dorset District Council can make grants under the heading of 'Homelessness Prevention' and they have done this every year since the Hub opened. In addition the cost of Business Rates is reduced by 80% for charities, according to central government regulations, and the Hub is fortunate that so far each year, the remaining 20% (approximately £330 this year) has been waived by the District Council. The Hub is very grateful for this regular support.

In 2006, the Primary Care Trust (PCT) for this rural area wanted to provide a nurse practitioner from a local general practice to see and treat homeless people at the Hub in Dorchester (and at Soul Food in Weymouth) but did not have the funds. Instead the Hub, supported by the PCT's Public Health Department, applied to the Pfizer Foundation - the charitable arm of a wealthy drug company - to pay for this. The application was successful and the service started in October 2006. Now it is with great satisfaction that the project has been taken over by the PCT from this month -April 2008. There is also the possibility later this year they will fund a mental health worker, working specifically with those, including rough sleepers, who have a 'dual diagnosis', ie. both mental health problems coupled with drug or alcohol addiction.

Having said so much about the grants that come in (and saying nothing about the significant number that are applied for unsuccessfully), donations still make up half the Hub's income each year. Some of these are from individuals who send single large cheques, which are sometimes a wonderful surprise, but the majority of the donation income is made up of very many smaller amounts from many individuals and organisations, especially the churches, and from special fund-raising events. For a couple of years the Hub benefited by being the Mayor's chosen charity which gave good publicity as well as a cheque at the end of the year. We are so grateful for all of these and we can truthfully say that, without such generous help, the Hub could not keep going. Please keep them coming.

The search is on now for a capital grant of about £30,000 to enable the Hub to build an extension on the front, about the size of half the forecourt, to make a consulting room where visiting specialists coming to the Hub can see clients privately. At present only one at a time can be accommodated in the Manager's office, but this means the managers cannot see other clients themselves or get on with their extensive liaison and administrative work. Many phone calls, such as those to the Benefits Agency, cannot be made whilst there is a visiting professional at the Hub - yet we have worked hard to draw in this professional support for the benefit of our service users. If there is anyone who could help with obtaining this capital money - or even give it! - please call Margaret Barker or another of the Hub staff or trustees.