Adults helped after homelessness by Derbyshire housing trust given eggcellent Easter by generous local companies
Easter eggs aren’t just for children – that was the feeling of generous company staff when they donated hundreds of chocolate treats for grown-ups helped into Derbyshire properties after experiencing homelessness.
Shacklocks solicitors, which has branches in Belper, Derby, Ripley and Mansfield, turned Easter bunny in aid of people supported by Derventio Housing Trust. Derventio’s residents received more than 50 eggs donated by Sean Clare, senior business director at Blue Arrow recruitment too.
The legal firm donated huge numbers of eggs, bunnies, sweets, vegan and diabetic-friendly goodies to help people in Derventio’s properties enjoy their Easter.
The eggs were handed over to grateful Derventio staff working at its Growing Lives base in Ilkeston. Growing Lives is a day centre run by Derventio which provides people in its properties – and referred there via other services – with communal activities such as woodworking, craft and walks, with the aim of helping support them to get back on their feet again.
Many people who have attended Growing Lives have said it really helped them turn their lives around. They include Cotmanhay man Darren Cox, who went from homeless and attempting suicide to training to be a lay preacher, helping others through his church.
Penny Wiltshire, funding and development manager at Derventio, said: “We received four boxes absolutely brimming with a massive variety of treats from Shacklocks. They had gone to so much trouble. The donation of more than 50 eggs from Blue Arrow just blew us away too.
“They will be much enjoyed by our residents. When you’re short of money, the last thing you think about doing is going and buying yourself a bit of chocolate. By doing this at Derventio with generous support from companies like Shacklocks and Blue Arrow, we are showing our residents that we’re not just helping them out with giving them a roof over their head, we want to support and look after them and help them develop, and actually just give them a treat now and then!”
Derventio now manages 600 bed spaces of accommodation for single homeless people in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Wiltshire, and helps more than 1,100 people a year by offering housing, support and specialist projects in order that they improve their health and wellbeing, increase resilience and prepare for independent living, learning and employment.
It is appealing to businesses to support its work by donating to support starter and moving on packs to help people move into its properties, and then move on at the end of their time with Derventio.
To find out more, contact Penny on penny.wiltshire@derventiohousing.com
