Through the Aviva Community Fund, Help Bristol’s Homeless raised over £11,500 for their innovative approach to getting rough sleepers off the streets.

The priority of Help Bristol’s Homeless is getting people off the streets and into safe, stable accommodation. They do this by taking shipping containers and transforming them into fully self-contained, insulated and heated micro flats.

It’s a process the residents are encouraged to get involved with themselves, so they come away with not just a home, but a sense of pride and accomplishment, alongside some valuable work experience and new skills.

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As one resident attests, “It’s a confidence builder. I’ve ended up on the streets a few times throughout my life now, but now, at the age of 52, life on the streets is extremely hard. It’s a lifesaver, and I can see a future, where six weeks ago I didn’t have a future.”

To date, the project has completed 15 micro flats, which are arranged together with walkways and steps to create a community setting. They’ve also converted a bus as an emergency shelter and transformed other shipping containers to provide a shower block, laundry, kitchen, canteen and an office. 

The money raised through the Aviva Community Fund will go towards the creation of a 16th micro flat to continue their amazing work of helping homeless people build their own future.

Says trustee Zoradi Tucker, “One case that really struck home with me was a young lad, only 18, and he’d found himself booted out of his family home. He just needed somewhere to go, somewhere to get his mind together. He just needed a safe space, and we were able to provide him with that.”

Could funding or support help your project build something great? Apply for the Aviva Community Fund today.

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