The WISH Project
One Community provides funding to support The WISH Project
The WISH project (Women into Single Housing) based in Huddersfield became the first beneficiary of a grant from the recently formed Kirklees community foundation, 'One Community'. The project received a grant of £1,900.00 - the proceeds of which were generated through a Christmas Appeal - the 'Yorkshire Post Communities in Need Campaign'. The appeal helped to raise vital funds for all seven community foundations based in Yorkshire.
The funding will enable the WISH project to extend its successful 'Pre Lov’d Furniture Scheme', which recycles unwanted furniture and house ware to support homeless single women, when they move on from staying in the project’s emergency hostel accommodation into their own tenancies.
The ‘Pre Lov’d’ Scheme’ has become an enormous success, and Cheryl Roberts-Creaghan, service development manager, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from One Community and would like to thank all the readers of the Yorkshire Post who contributed to the appeal.
“The furniture scheme has long been an ambition of WISH, and finally came to fruition when the project found suitable space, and secured a project worker with the help of Voluntary Action Kirklees. Jane Wheelhouse now administers the scheme, obtaining all the donated goods and organising their delivery, storage and refurbishment. The objects are then priced to cover the cost of transportation, while still remaining affordable to women living on benefits.
“The project to recycle these goods has enriched the service that WISH offers to women, making high quality items available to help them to set-up in their new homes.
“There is a popular belief that if you have got ‘nowt’ anything will do. This is not the case, and for women, who may have experienced terrible trauma, our service helps to lift their self-esteem and make them feel valued. Quality items can make an enormous difference and help make their new homes more comfortable and less frightening.”
Sir John Harman, chairman of One Community, said: “We are delighted to be able to help the WISH project extend its successful ‘Pre Lov’d Furniture Scheme’. It has clearly made a tremendous difference to the many single homeless women who benefit from its excellent service.
“One Community was established so that it could support small non-profit organisations in Kirklees, such as The WISH Project. It is especially pleasing to be able to make such a positive contribution at a time when many sources of public funding are drying up.”
