East Durham-based charity receives £100K in funding from Big Issue Invest

East Durham Community Initiatives (EDCI), a housing support charity for vulnerable young people, has received £100K in funding from Big Issue Invest, the investment arm of The Big Issue.

EDCI provide a range of supported housing services for vulnerable young people in one of the most deprived areas in the country.

The charity also supports a wide range of people, including those who are homeless, people living with mental health problems, learning disabilities or recovering from substance misuse, people who have spent their childhood in care, are fleeing domestic violence, people with training education or employment needs, homeless veterans, or those who are elderly and need extra support to live independently.

Tenants have access to support and guidance to help maintain tenancies, cope with daily life and prepare them to move on to independent living.

The EDCI social mission is to promote social inclusion for the public benefit by preventing people in the East Durham region from becoming socially excluded and relieving the needs of those people and assisting them to integrate into society.

The charity fulfils this mission through:

1. Furthering Education
2. Promoting positive physical, health and emotional lifestyles
3. Providing supported accommodation services
4. Promoting and enhancing employment prospects
5. Developing and promoting social inclusion via recreational, holiday and leisure activities

The money from Big Issue Invest will help ECDI to convert one of the current buildings owned by the organisation into a supported accommodation facility with seven apartments, which will include 2 emergency crisis bedrooms, plus space for support staff and communal facilities.

Alan Tudhope, Investment Manager at Big Issue Invest, said: “We are so pleased to be able to support an organisation such as East Durham Community Initiatives. The work it does offering housing services and support to vulnerable people is absolutely vital. I am looking forward to watching the organisation go from strength to strength!”

Claire Green, Assistant Manager at East Durham Community Initiatives, said: “We are very pleased with the investment from Big Issue Invest, which will help us provide further support to those who need it most in the community. This is a really exciting development for both staff and service users at East Durham Community Initiatives.”

To find out more about Big Issue Invest, or how your organisation could receive similar support as East Durham Community Initiatives, please visit: https://www.bigissue.com/invest/

To find out more about East Durham Community Initiatives, visit their website here.