Cardo has partnered with The Winchester Beacon, a local charity providing support and accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, to create a series of ‘Moving On Boxes’ designed to support individuals as they leave the Beacon and transition into new accommodation.
Cardo began working with The Winchester Beacon through its social value programme to explore how they could support residents as they transitioned into permanent accommodation.
Cardo discovered that while individuals saw moving into a new home as an important milestone, they also found the transition quite overwhelming as they often lacked the basic essentials needed to live independently.
After exploring a number of options, it was decided that Cardo could best support the residents by providing a ‘Moving On Box’ containing everyday items to support an individual moving into a new home.
The team at Cardo worked with the team at Winchester Beacon to determine what the most useful and necessary items would be to make a house feel like a home. Essentials such as a kettle, toaster, cutlery and crockery were identified together with towels and toiletries. All topped off with a good luck card.
“From our first meeting, Cardo made it clear that they wanted to support The Winchester Beacon in a way that will make a real difference to the lives of our residents,” said Nancy Judge, Senior Communications and PR Officer for the Beacon.
“The boxes have far exceeded what we imagined, they have been thoughtfully put together and will really help to give our residents a strong start to their next step away from homelessness.
“Several of our residents have already received the boxes and commented on how helpful it has been to have all the essentials ready and available from the day they move to their new home. Thank you to everyone at Cardo for your support and belief in our residents.”
Cardo trialled the boxes with an initial run of 10 and is now looking to review and refine the contents with both resident and Beacon input to ensure the boxes meet the needs of these vulnerable individuals.
“Together with the Beacon, we chose items that would offer dignity, comfort and support to those taking the next step into their own home,” said Fen Walker, Branch Manager at Cardo.
“As well as providing practical essentials, we included a message of care and encouragement to show residents they were thought about and valued, and to wish them well in their new home.
“Cardo is committed to making a positive difference to residents’ lives via a whole host of community schemes. ‘Moving On Boxes’ is just one example of our work”.
