A READING homeless charity has been able to buy vital resources for its work and life skills centre, thanks to a £2,500 donation.
Launchpad received the money as part of the Community Fund, a joint initiative from the University of Reading and the John Sykes Foundation.
Established in 1979 by University of Reading students, Launchpad helps prevent homelessness, and enables those that have been, or are currently, homeless to rebuild their lives.
Last year, the charity opened Launchpad 135, a work and life skills centre.
Staff at the centre works with people who are homeless or at risk of losing their home,to tackle whatever is holding them back from resolving their housing situation. The aim is to achieve long-term stability and independence.
Members of the centre can access support for wellbeing, socialisation and self-esteem challenges, as well as practical support with budgeting, education, training, and employability skills.
The centre also has a kitchen for cookery and barista training; a DIY workshop; a garden for horticulture sessions; a hairdressing and barbering station; an IT suite for job searching, budgeting and computer skills; counselling rooms; and a large, multi-purpose space for arts, crafts and music workshops.
Sian Walsh is a Launchpad Volunteer and a member of the University’s International Recruitment team.
She helped put together the bid for funding.
“The extra funding has allowed Launchpad to work with more people,” she said. “From the simple but effective purchasing of more chairs so that more members can attend training sessions, to covering the costs of the tutors that run those sessions, the Community Fund has enabled Launchpad to expand its offerings to more vulnerable people without jeopardising those existing service users that need it most.
“By expanding our offering, we have empowered more vulnerable people to rebuild; boosting confidence and helping them to lead full independent lives and break the cycle of homelessness.”
Money has also been used on printers and ink, allowing members to print cover letters and CVs.
And a large portion of the funds will be used to pay specialist tutors to lead regular ‘work ready’ training sessions within the centre.
Chris Smith, whose name has been changed, joined the service seeking employment stability and a volunteering role to help him build better relationships in his community.
He attended sessions at Launchpad 135 every Wednesday morning and was encouraged to make enquiries with charity shops for volunteering opportunities.
With support from a Launchpad tutor, Mr Smith created a CV and shortly after was offered work with a warehouse.
“Using the skills I learned during the Money Matters sessions at Launchpad 135, I was able to budget and put money aside for rent each week,” Mr Smith said. “The agency offered four weeks work but I was still able to stick to my budget. I have now updated my CV to include this work experience and I am working on creating profiles on online job sites and on writing my cover letter. I feel really positive, this is a turning point.”
