The
homelessness charity Thames Reach has joined forces with NHS North East London
and the City to deliver a unique award-winning service providing homeless
people in Hackney and East London with free health, housing and welfare advice.
The Hackney-based
Greenhouse Walk-in centre is one of three pioneering projects nominated to
receive one of the Andy Ludlow Awards, the UK’s leading homelessness awards.
The awards
are sponsored by the London Housing Foundation and the three projects will
share £55,000, with £30,000 going to the winners who will be announced at a ceremony
in October.
The
Greenhouse Walk-in centre is for men and women who are sleeping rough, have a
drug and alcohol problem, poor mental health or who are simply struggling to
keep a roof over their head.
Services
include housing advice, benefits support, full registration with the practice,
comprehensive nurse and GP care, mental health care, drug and alcohol services,
TB screening, dentistry and foot care.
Last year
it helped over 1,000 people get specialist health treatment and 775 people were
helped into accommodation.
It is
staffed by both advice workers from Thames Reach and nursing staff from local NHS
organisations.
The Andy
Ludlow Awards are for organisations that demonstrate innovative and creative
solutions for tackling homelessness in the capital, as well as recognising good
practice. Run by London Councils on behalf of the capital’s 33 boroughs, the
awards are sponsored by the London Housing Foundation, the Mayor of London, and
Shelter. Inside Housing is a media partner.
Andy
Langford, Thames Reach’s director at the Greenhouse Walk-in centre, said: “This
partnership has shown us that close work between statutory and voluntary sector
services can reap amazing rewards.
“The
service is seeing an increase in the amount of people who need help and in the
complexity of their needs but by working together with our health colleagues at
the Greenhouse, we have managed to help thousands of vulnerable people.”
Steve
Gilvin, director of primary care commissioning for NHS North East London and
the City said: “NHS North East London and the City values the opportunity to
work with voluntary organisations like Thames Reach to deliver care in ways
that are more accessible for people. We believe this award is recognition of
the hard work of the teams to achieve good health outcomes as a result of this
partnership”.
The
Greenhouse Walk-in centre is based at 19 Tudor Road, Hackney, E9 7SN. Phone 020
8510 4490.
