Dave Summers, Operations Manager and the Boomerang Cardiff team work to benefit more homeless people across Cardiff after funding boost
A Cardiff charity will benefit more than 70 previously homeless families and individuals across the city over the next few months after a funding boost has further fuelled its collection service.
Boomerang Cardiff, which collects unwanted household items to, in-turn, provide them to those who are moving on from either a hostel or the street, into accommodation, has received funding which will fuel its collection van for the next ten weeks.
The not-for-profit organisation has seen an increase in referrals since the coronavirus pandemic and is reliant on the goodwill of people donating household items such as fridges, freezers, furniture, lamps and mirrors to help those in need. Once collected, Boomerang works with referral organisations and the families and individuals moving into properties, to ensure they have the items required to help them make their place a home.
Dave Summers, Operations Manager for Boomerang Cardiff, explains:
“Since 2017 we have been working hard to tackle poverty across the city and one arm includes collecting unwanted furniture from homes, in turn providing it to homeless people who are moving on from either a hostel or the street, into accommodation.
“We have recently received £1,000 from the Safe and Warm Fund, which was established by Wales & West Utilities, and this will ensure that we can fuel our collection and delivery van for ten weeks.
“In those ten weeks, our team will complete a minimum of 400 furniture collections from across Cardiff, on top of the positive move on of around 70 previously homeless individuals and families into properties that would have otherwise been left unfurnished.”
Boomerang works with, and gains referrals from, organisations including the Cardiff Outreach team, Salvation Army, The Wallich, alongside housing associations including Gwalia, Llamau, CCHA and Wales and West Housing.
It is estimated that in the four years it has been established, Boomerang has distributed more than 10,000 packs, which has directly helped 25,000 people across the city.
Dave continued:
“Working with the families and individuals in need we deliver a bed, a sofa, a crockery starter pack, a kettle, a toaster and a microwave, whilst also checking to see if they require other things like an ironing board, toiletries, lamps or mirrors.
“Whilst we are reliant on the goodwill and donations from people locally, without money like this, we wouldn’t be able to fund our collection service, which would then have a negative knock-on effect to those we support.”
Wales & West Utilities Chief Executive, Graham Edwards, added:
“The Safe and Warm Fund was designed to directly help those working in communities, targeting support at those who need it most.
“We are delighted that the fund will now support so many organisations across our operating area –helping local communities respond to Coronavirus.
“Seeing communities come together to face the challenge of Coronavirus has been fantastic – and everyone at Wales & West Utilities is excited to see these projects come to life and how they will make a positive impact on the lives of people most in need.”
Wales & West Utilities set up the Safe and Warm Fund to help organisations and charities directly respond to the Coronavirus pandemic. The gas emergency and pipeline service has been working hard throughout the pandemic to make sure people are kept safe and warm in their homes and opened the fund to help others in communities across Wales and the south west of England do the same.
