Homelessness charity supported by University opens new centre in Leicester

The Bridge – Homelessness to Hope charity has opened a new 4,600 sq ft centre on Melton Street in Leicester. The Hope Centre will enable the charity to extend its range of specialist support services including mentoring and mental health wellbeing, and to provide up to 100 early breakfast servings for rough sleepers per week and almost 10,000 meals per year to the homeless and vulnerable.

The University supports the Charity in a number of ways.  A student intern has been working with them for six months to improve their marketing and social media and the School of Medicine’s Project Light has involved medical students offering support on our health centre drop in days.

Professor Phil Baker, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the College of Life Sciences and Marie Muir from the Student Experience Team are Trustees of the Charity and the University also hosts the charity’s meetings. Marie also organised a netball tournament on campus to raise funds for the charity.

The Bridge – Homelessness to Hope charity is run by over 60 volunteers plus three part- and full-time staff, and has been helping homeless people to turn their lives around since 2009. The charity was previously based at the Salvation Army centre in Leicester city centre.

The Bridge – Homelessness to Hope also offers a place to talk and be listened to; advice, support, guidance and sign posting; outreach and support for rough sleepers; mentoring; an informal, holistic approach to health and well-being; focused recovery support groups; connections with like-minded agencies; Faith in Action; and most importantly, hope.

The new centre is located at a former hosiery factory at 43 Melton Street, Leicester LE1 3NB. It is open on Thursdays (from 6.30-8pm) and Sundays (3-5pm) and currently from Monday to Friday (6-8am) for rough sleepers only. For more information, visit www.bridgeleicester.org