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Albion As One fund to help people in temporary accommodation

The latest donation from the Albion As One fund will support a charity helping people at risk of homelessness and those already on the streets.

By Richard Morris • 25 June 2020

Justlife is a charity which provides vital support to people living in unsupported temporary accommodation in Brighton and Hove.

Its work falls into two main categories: to prevent people falling into homelessness, and to help those who are homeless progress towards safe, healthy, and stable lives.

People living in unsupported temporary accommodation often experience deteriorating mental and physical health, become victims of crime, and are at an increased risk of dropping off the bottom rung of the housing ladder and finding themselves out on the streets.

For many, the Covid-19 crisis has heightened anxieties and increased uncertainty and isolation, meaning the support provided by Justlife has been needed more than ever.

A donation from the Albion As One fund has helped the charity continue its local work and adapt its delivery to meet the many challenges resulting from the pandemic.

Food deliveries are being made to people who have had to self-isolate while in temporary accommodation and have been unable to access or afford food, while the donation has also helped Justlife provide people with other much-needed supplies, such as cleaning products and PPE.

Other initiatives it has helped with include a check in and chat befriending service which has seen people receive a weekly phone call, an online art group for people who have experienced homelessness to help reduce their isolation and boost their mental during the crisis, and distraction packs of puzzles, books and magazines which have been distributed to vulnerable and isolated people across the city.

The charity will also use some of the Albion As One donation to provide people with tablets and access to the internet, which in turn will enable them to better access support at a time when they may be unable to visit drop-in centres or other services they may usually rely on.

Simon Gale, chief executive at Justlife, said, “We know temporary accommodation can be a really harsh environment, one that is often unclean, unpredictable and inadequate to be called a home, where people’s mental and physical health can really suffer. This reality has not changed for the over 50,000 households living in temporary accommodation across England during this time.

“During Covid-19 we have had to adapt how we work, drop-in’s and group activities have had to stop and how we support people on a one-to-one basis to fit the needs of lockdown and social distancing has developed.

"The Albion As One donation is going to have a massive impact on our work. It means we are able to support people who are homeless, often hidden homeless in temporary accommodation, to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, without seeing their health and wellbeing or housing options deteriorate.

“We are really grateful to the players, the club and the fans."

For more information on Justlife click here