Milton Keynes Council awards Salvation Army with contract to support homeless.

Milton Keynes Council has awarded The Salvation Army a five year contract to provide housing and support to people who are experiencing homelessness at their Fishermead Centre and also, to house and support young  parents and their children at Springfield House.  

The new contract comes after The Salvation Army took over provision of the services at Springfield House and the Fishermead Centre from Orbit Housing in January 2017.  

The two centres will now be integrated into a network of homelessness services run by the Church and charity throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland supporting more than 8,000 people    Nathan Slinn, Regional Manager for The Salvation Army Homelessness Services, said: “We are delighted to be working with Milton Keynes Council in this new venture to tackle homelessness in the city. We look to help people get back on their feet –with a hand up, not a hand out.   

“People are at the centre of everything we do, and we believe in people when they may not believe in themselves”.   The centre at Fishermead has 20 single furnished rooms for people who are experiencing homelessness, providing personalised support and guidance towards independent living.   

Springfield House has 16 flats for teenage parents and their children. The service offers a resettlement programme within a supportive environment to help each family secure longer-term accommodation and ultimately maintain a tenancy in the community.  

Marie Robinson, Manager of Milton Keynes Homelessness services said: “Our support services create tailored packages to help people sustain their own tenancy and achieve the best they can in life through employment and independence. We continue to work closely with many organisations in Milton Keynes, and are always interested in working with others to extend our partner network. We would really like to hear from those involved with employment, addictions and rehabilitation support, accommodation providers and potential supporters such as community groups, charities and other churches”  

“The Salvation Army is dedicated to caring for people who are vulnerable or in need by offering practical help, a listening ear, and compassionate support. We will be looking to ensure that through this scheme people will be given a warm and friendly welcome at our centres in Milton Keynes with the support they need to get back on their feet.”  

The Salvation Army Church in Milton Keynes has supported the service in various ways over the past several years and so there has been a local relationship between the staff and residents, as it was previously operated by Orbit Housing.