Bury Drop In is pleased to announce that it’s been chosen to receive funding, as part of the East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund. The £5,000 grant will fund emergency mobile phone starter kits to hand out to guests who need to connect with vital services such as a GP, probation, job centre and social services: helping to make a difference to rough sleeper’s lives.

As a registered charity, Bury Drop In relies on donations to support its vital work. It costs around £7,500 a month to run services effectively, and funding and donation levels have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. This year, Bury Drop In has been providing services to 150+ guests on Tuesdays and Fridays, with around 40-45 guests attending on a typical session. This is a significant increase over last year which we anticipated considering challenges around the cost of living. In addition to offering a healthy nutritious meal, support and signposting to local agencies, the charity hands out emergency provisions to rough sleepers including tents, sleeping bags, toiletries, mobile phones, clothing and food vouchers.

Sabine Dornbusch, general manager at Bury Drop In said; “The gift of a mobile phone and £10 credit supports people in a desperate situation and gives hope. A phone is needed to be assessed and verified as a rough sleeper, the first step into emergency accommodation. Many guests share, now I can call my children, my family.”

Each year, the East of England Co-op invests part of its profits to support communities across their trading area. The East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund, set up in April 2020, supports a diverse range of local groups and services and has supported more than 138,000 people.