Talbot Village Trust has provided the charity, Hope Housing, Training & Support, with a grant of more than £115,000 in the past three years to provide housing for homeless people in the area.

In 2014 the grant giving charity donated £55,000 towards the purchase of Hope Housing’s first property which has provided people who are homeless in Bournemouth and Poole with safe accommodation and tailored support since it opened.

More recently Hope Housing received a further £60,000 from Talbot Village Trust to expand this property by building an extension to meet the increasing demand of homeless people seeking accommodation and support in the county.

The extension has provided an additional four bedrooms and Hope Housing now has a total of 89 bedroom units, accommodating more than 150 vulnerable individuals in a yearly period.

The funding has also allowed for improvements to be made to the communal areas of the property. Residents now have a shared kitchen diner, living room, and two new shower rooms.

Julie Berti, Chief Executive of Hope Housing, Training & Support, said: ‘‘Hope Housing, Training & Support is extremely grateful to Talbot Village Trust for their ongoing support. The Trust has enabled us to increase the level of support that we are able to provide for homeless, vulnerable adults in the Bournemouth and Poole area. We are seeing an ever increasing demand for our services and the funding provided by Talbot Village Trust means that we will be able to provide accommodation and support to those who need it most.”

Russell Lucas-Rowe, Trustee, added: ‘‘We are proud to have been given the chance to help combat homeless in the area. Hope Housing is an example of where the Trust is able to continue to offer financial support to the same charity over the years. This is one of the many unique aspects of Talbot Village Trust which we are keen to promote. As long as an application meets the relevant criteria a charity can apply for additional funding at any time.’’

Talbot Village Trust meets biannually, and will be accepting applications for funding from both previous and new applicants in the area before the Trustees meet again in May. Please visit www.talbotvillagetrust.org for more information.