Latest News | 19 May 2021
Funding boost for housing trust project
A project run by Derventio Housing Trust that helps homeless people rebuild their lives has been given a major boost.
The trust’s Growing Lives project teaches the homeless skills for the workplace.
It is now planning to introduce a mentoring scheme and head into the countryside to get closer to nature after its funding was extended for two more years.
Growing Lives wants to appoint the mentors as part of a new drive to help newcomers to settle in when they arrive for their first day at its base in Grenville Drive, Cotmanhay.
It offers a series of activities designed to help people who have found themselves homeless and are working hard to put their difficult times and life challenges, such as mental health issues, alcohol and substance addictions and domestic abuse, behind them.
Activities include crafts, woodworking, gardening and cooking.
Growing Lives works with around 50 people each year but had to close its doors for a few months during the pandemic last year.
It has now successfully applied to Derbyshire County Council, which has agreed to part-fund it for the next two years to enable it to continue its work and extend its provision to cover the mentoring scheme.
