Mansfield District Council has allocated £11,000 to a pilot project to better support vulnerable people.

The money will fund a 12-month initiative at the town’s Beacon Project, a long-standing support group for homeless people based on Wood Street.

The new Freedom Community Project will better support their existing service users and, potentially, a wider cohort of local vulnerable adults who struggle to cope with the requirements of modern living, including money management, benefits systems, and accessing NHS support.

Jill Finnesey (pictured), head of housing at the council, said: “The Freedom Community Project will aim to offer more support to those most at risk of homeless.

“We know from experience that it is often those who are the most vulnerable and who really struggle with the day-to-day pressures and expectations of modern life who fall between the cracks and can end up on the streets. It is those people we want to catch before they fall.”

The funding will allow the council to provide an additional day per week of benefits, housing, and debt advice.

This will be provided by the Beacon team, who will be trained to deliver advice.

The funding comes from the council’s homeless prevention grant from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.