Final bid launched for new premises by Helping Hands - The Leamington Observer

Final bid launched for new premises by Helping Hands

Leamington Editorial 22nd Mar, 2017   0

A DESPERATE final bid has been launched by a charity in the hope of keeping one of their most in-demand services running.

Helping Hands – which supports vulnerable and homeless people in Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth – was recently dealt a devastating blow after discovering the building at Stoneleigh Park where they keep their donations is set to be demolished to make way for new businesses.

The charity use the site to run their ‘House2Home’ service – which provides household items to help people get back on their feet.

But after an unsuccessful appeal to find a new home, the charity has had to resort to fund-raising to raise the money needed to find a place of their own.




They have also had to stop taking donations of household and furniture items until they have a new base.

Helping Hands founder Lianne Kirkman said: “Sadly when people get housed into a permanent place, they can’t afford to furnish the home with essentials such as beds, sofas or wardrobes, that’s where Helping Hands step in.


“With donations given by the local community, we are able to literally turn empty houses into homes.

“Unfortunately we have recently found out that our storage facility is now going to be sold on and we now have nowhere to go. If we can’t find another permanent storage facility soon, we will have to close our House2Home project.

“We have had more than 100 referrals for this from local agencies since November, which is a phenomenal amount.

“There are so many homeless in Warwick district with around 800 on the waiting list to be housed. We really need to keep this project alive as we provide such a vital service to so many in the area.”

Helping Hands started its House2Home project in 2013 from a garage before moving to the now-demolished referee hut at the Racing Club Warwick Football Club ground.

But currently they fill the two-storey building in Stoneleigh with donations from local supporters.

They are appealing for donations to fund a new home before they have to leave the premises, which Lianne believes will happen ‘imminently’.

The charity also provides a soup kitchen, drop-in centre and aim to give homeless and vulnerable people skills so they can enter the world of work.

Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/HelpingHandsStoragefacility to donate.

Search Helping Hands Community Project on facebook to find out more about the charity.

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