Mayor congratulates Vincent Kompany on Northwest Football Awards ‘Impact Award’

Speaking after presenting Vincent Kompany with the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards Impact Award [Mon 11 Nov 2019], Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

"The Impact Award recognises an individual who has made a significant positive impact on and off the pitch. It is hard to imagine a more worthy winner than Vincent Kompany.

"Just three days after scoring ‘that goal’, and two days before lifting the Premier League trophy at Brighton, Vincent sat in a homeless shelter in Ardwick thanking volunteers and supporting the residents. That tells you everything you need to know about the man and why he deserves this award.

"Vincent has already raised over £300,000 for A Bed Every Night and he has pledged to donate proceeds from his recent testimonial match to the scheme, helping even more people off the streets. His generosity and love for the people of Greater Manchester knows no bounds and I’m delighted he’s been recognised by the Ladbrokes Northwest Football Awards."

A Bed Every Night is a ground breaking scheme set up last winter by the Mayor of Greater Manchester to provide rough sleepers with a bed and personal support to help them stay off the streets. Recent figures show that for a second consecutive year the number of people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester has fallen, bucking the previous trend of substantial year-on-year increases since 2010.

The 10 Greater Manchester Councils’ recorded 195 individuals sleeping outdoors in contrast to 241 recorded as part of the government’s official rough sleeper count which took place in November 2018.

Phase 2 of the scheme started on 1st October 2019 with £6m of funding and an extra 100 beds, taking it to 400 beds in total. Anyone whose last address was in Greater Manchester and sleeping rough can access the scheme which is funded until June 2020. So far, over 2200 people have been supported with 817 people now in long-term accommodation.

As well as increasing the number of places, Phase 2 seeks to improve the quality of support. Provision is more varied ensuring that people’s specific needs can be met, including women-only spaces, provision for couples and, through the greater involvement of NHS colleagues, those with complex needs such as addictions and mental health. There will also be more options for people with dogs.

As well as more beds, Phase 2 involves more professional involvement, more secure funding and stronger partnerships between different funding agencies and organisations. These include: the GMCA, the 10 Councils, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, Greater Manchester Police, Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, Raise the Roof, Tackle4MCR and the Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network.

Image: fivetilnoon on Flickr licensed via Creative Commons

Article Published: 12/11/2019 08:58 AM