Please join us for an informational event relating to the launch of the new Homelessness Prevention Fund.

Venue Location: Room F305, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University, Poole, BH12 5BB.

Parking: Paid onsite parking is available. Please let us know if you need parking by selecting the relevant option on your ticket which will help us manage capacity.

Event Details

This event will provide information for community groups who are considering applying to the BCP Homelessness Prevention Fund.

You will hear from colleagues from BCP Council, who are providing the funds for this programme and will talk about what Homelessness Prevention means for this programme.

You will hear from the Grants Manager at Dorset Community Foundation, about the eligibility, application process and what the decision panel will be looking for.

Below is a summary of the Fund and link to full programme guidance.

BCP Homelessness Prevention Fund

Interventions that stop routes to homelessness

This Fund will award grants to local voluntary sector groups whose work helps to prevent homelessness in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Applying organisations do not need to work with people who are homeless. Indeed, some organisations who may be appropriate for this Fund may not view themselves as a ‘homelessness organisation’.

This is a prevention focussed funding programme - we are actively looking to support organisations that work with people who are at risk of homelessness, or with a cohort of people who are known to have higher risks of becoming homeless due to socio-economic factors.

This Fund is NOT designed for organisations or activities targeting people who are currently experiencing longer term homelessness. Other DCF funding programmes may be more suitable for this work.

We want to support organisations that intervene before homelessness takes root and tackle some of the common root causes of homelessness. We want people to access services before they sleep rough or need temporary housing. We want to reduce the likelihood of people sleeping rough or using temporary accommodation, and fewer experiencing hidden homelessness such as sofa surfing. We can also consider interventions to shorten stays in temporary accommodation.

Priority may be given to groups that work with young people, who work in partnership with other providers, and who involve people with lived experience in the design of services.

The Fund will award grants to organisations that work under one of 3 headings

Preventing homelessness (upstream, early prevention)

Reducing homelessness (shortening length of stays in temporary accommodation or hidden homelessness)

Preventing returns to homelessness (for those in unsupported accommodation).

Grants of up to £30,000 are available and the grant period should be from a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 24 months – however, if you are requesting more than £15,000 we would expect the grant period to be a minimum of 12 months.

Full Fund guidance available on our webpage:

https://www.dorsetcommunityfoundation.org/funds/bcp_homelessness_prevention_fund/

Description supplied by the event organiser.