Why now?
There are many different reasons why individuals become homeless. The truth is, if enough things go wrong and we are without support, it could happen to any of us.
Recent years have made life harder for many people who were already struggling, and we anticipate that the full extent of this impact will only become apparent in the months and years ahead. We are seeing high growth in homelessness, and more people at the point of crisis than ever before.
What will the Wolverton Centre be used for?
The 13,000 square foot hub will help not only those that are currently homeless, but also to be a safe space for vulnerable families, couples and single people in the Milton Keynes and surrounding areas that are danger of losing their home or need other support.
This project is important for enabling people to embark on a new life, maintain personal stability and sustain their tenancies, thus reducing a bounce-back’ to the streets.
What will happen to Unity Park Station?
UPS will still remain open as a crisis centre delivering our welfare services – we know how important it is that we have a team on the ground to deliver and support those who are homeless / rough sleeping. This will not change and we are fully committed to running our crisis service from our base at UPS.
How much will it cost to build and launch this?
This is a £2.7 million fundraising campaign – we have been working with a range of charitable trusts, the National Lottery, and corporate and individual donors to start the fundraising, and will continue to build on this to reach our target.
We are incredibly grateful to have been awarded a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, which will be used for the first phase of the project. The new building is an ideal space to make our vision a reality but currently is in a run-down condition due to its age, having been an old railway training centre.
