In 2018 the Gatehouse received a significant legacy of over £60,000 from Sybil, a long-time supporter of the charity. At that time these funds were the equivalent of around one third of total annual expenditure, so this had a massive impact, and enabled a wide range of service improvements to be fast tracked whilst maintaining overall financial stability.
The temptation when receiving an unexpected windfall like this is often to go on a spending spree, but the Gatehouse’s trustees took a more considered approach by assigning the funds to be spent over a three-year period, during which they funded a service development programme alongside the recruitment of three new, part-time staff members. Overall this approach enabled new services to be introduced alongside extended opening hours, and it also allowed sufficient time to introduce additional fundraising programmes that have ensured the sustainability of these services.
One area which saw massive changes as a result of Sybil’s gift was the Gatehouse’s Casework Team. Originally launched in 2017 with one staff member this service immediately experienced huge levels of demand, with long waiting lists soon building up. The new funds enabled the recruitment of two additional Caseworkers and a significant increase in capacity, enabling a much higher percentage of guests seeking help to benefit from this service.
The Casework Team works with individual guests to provide a wide (and ever-growing) range of individual support across such areas as tenancy sustainment, homelessness prevention, accessing legal support, mental health and other health needs, general wellbeing, addictions, benefits and budgeting, accessing education, work and training, and building support networks. The Team also manages a range of other needs including safeguarding of vulnerable adults, modern slavery and victims of crime and abuse. The goal is to offer long-term, guest-centric, holistic support, guiding individuals towards independence and self-determination, enabling guests to achieve reintegration into the local community through a transition back into permanent housing, employment and independence.
On a more basic level the Team also operates a separate welfare fund which pays for several thousand pounds’ worth of practical items each year to aid guests moving on into independence. These vary from small value items such as mobile phone top ups, bus passes, and ID documents to larger items such as furniture and other household goods.
Leaving a Gift in your Will to the Gatehouse
Gifts in Wills are becoming an ever more important source of funding for the Gatehouse’s charitable activities, and however large or small they might be, they all provide a positive impact on the lives of individuals in need. Details about how you can support the Gatehouse by leaving a Gift in your Will can be found on our Gifts in Wills page.
