Press Information

World Homeless Day Plea For Funds To Help Tackle Homelessness 

The Nottingham-based charity Frameworkwill mark World Homeless Day on Tuesday 10 October by launching a winter appeal to support urgent work to tackle the homelessness crisis. 

Press photos for download here

The appeal, entitled ‘No Place To Call Home’, has been launched following a 51% increase in the number of people sleeping rough in Nottingham in the past year. Due to the cost-of-living crisis many are sleeping rough for the first time.

Framework hopes to raise £250,000 to help maintain services supporting people on the streets, getting people into accommodation and helping them to resettle in the community.  Funds raised will help the charity bridge the financial gap caused by rising costs and a reduction in the value of local authority contracts to deliver services. 

‘No Place To Call Home’ aims to help more people like Mel Bensley who, through her own efforts and with help from a variety of Framework services and the dedication of Framework staff, got herself back on her feet and found somewhere to call home.

Mel had worked all her life. She joined the army aged 17 and served in Northern Ireland. For over a decade she was a publican, until Covid-19 closed the pub doors and Mel, lonely and isolated, turned to alcohol to help her through the pandemic.

When the drinking took hold, Mel lost the tenancy of the pub and with it her home. She was forced to sleep on friends’ sofas and floors and even had to give up her cat, Little Miss.

Mel referred herself to Framework’s drug and alcohol service and, with shaking hands, signed the paperwork and began her recovery journey.

Mel urgently needed a home, so her support worker Andy referred her to Framework’s Housing Management Team who found her a flat in Nottingham – a new home for Mel and Little Miss.

Then Framework’s Employment Service found Mel volunteering roles. Volunteering gave Mel the confidence to secure paid work supporting people in mental health crisis.

Mel has worked extremely hard to overcome her challenges and with the help of Framework she is looking forward to a better, brighter future.  She says: 

“Considering my recovery has been over such a short period of time, I do sometimes pinch myself and think ‘How have I managed to do it?’. The reason is my support worker Andy and the help from wider Framework services.”

Framework’s Head of Fundraising and Communications, Claire Eden said: “Following the challenges of Covid, we and our service users, like everyone else, have been hit with a time of great financial uncertainty. The cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation have put pressure on our charity’s finances like never before, at the same time as forcing more people into homelessness or unfit housing and needing our help. 

“Many members of the public will be feeling the strain of rising household bills this Christmas however we ask people to remember those who have least and, where they can, to support our work helping people who have run out of options and have nowhere left to turn.

“We hope that the public will donate to Framework’s Winter Appeal and help us to give Mel and others like her somewhere to call home.”

People can support Framework’s Winter Appeal by donating at www.frameworkha.org

ENDS

Further information: 

Notes to editors:

Framework is a charity delivering housing, health, employment, support and care services to people with a diverse range of needs across the East Midlands in Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, and in Sheffield – around 18,000 in the year to March 2023.

Working to end homelessness and tackle disadvantage we aim to empower people to build better, more independent futures: during our first two decades we’ve helped around 200,000 people change their lives and overcome homelessness, addiction, mental ill-health and unemployment.

Regardless of their past, or the challenges they face, we empower people to achieve financial stability, social inclusion and independence, because we believe that everyone has the right and potential to achieve a better future. www.frameworkha.org