On Friday 21st December, Merseyside based charity, Green Pastures reached a total of 1,000 bed spaces providing homes and holistic care for homeless and vulnerable people across the UK.
Green Pastures have been providing housing for homeless people for almost 20 years and have expanded from Merseyside all across the UK providing essential housing and services in partnership with over 60 churches and Christian charities. It was in Southport, 1999 that the first bed space was bought and Green Pastures was born and it is in this same town that the milestone has been reached.
With homelessness in the UK reportedly reaching record highs in 2018 and more than one homeless person dying each day on the streets, the blame is being placed on welfare cuts, high rents and a lack of social housing. Green Pastures is responding by providing innovative solutions to the problems facing our communities.
Pete Cunningham Founding Director of Green Pastures says “We’ve just got the key to our 1,000th unit. I’m absolutely blessed! Thank you to all those people who helped us reach this milestone in our history. So now we’ve hit the 1000 milestone, lets reach for the 5000 milestone in the next 5 years!”
Partners working alongside Green Pastures also provide another 2000 bed spaces for the homeless meaning that in total there are 3000 people provided and cared for through this network.
“I was living on the streets, I was in a hostel and since I moved into Lifeline, my life has changed dramatically” Kevin, a resident of Green Pastures house with partner, Lifeline says. Kevin suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has found it tough for the past 18 years to find people who understand. “Life’s really changed in the last few months, I used to just sit around in my bedroom all the time and now I’m out and about, I’ve got myself up and running.”
Green Pastures receives investments of over £600,000 from over 25 individuals every month to purchase10+ bed spaces every month throughout the UK.
It is inescapable that through the work of Green Pastures the Church is ending homelessness in the UK.
OTS News on Social Media