• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Wednesday November 20 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Accountancy firm Monahans raises funds for Bath homelessness charity

A Bath charity that helps homeless people back on their feet by teaching them how to service and repair pedal bikes has received a £1,000 boost from accountancy firm Monahans.

Last year nearly 2,500 people took part in the Julian House Build-a-Bike scheme. Participants worked alongside a mechanic, learning how to repair and refurbish bikes, gaining a qualification, confidence and the skills needed to progress into employment.

The scheme demonstrates how the inability to work is not often fuelled by a lack of motivation, but a lack of opportunity – a recent survey suggested 42 per cent of employers would seek to terminate an employee’s contract if they discovered they were homeless, with a further 58 per cent saying that these circumstances would also decrease the likelihood of their job application being successful.

Julian House runs a number of services in Bath, including free accommodation, food, and shower facilities at the Manvers Street Hostel in Bath, and outreach services. Teams are out on the streets five days a week to support anyone sleeping rough, offer accommodation and spread information on how to seek help.

Staff at the Bath office of Monahans raised the money through the sales of retired IT equipment, quizzes, breakfast club meetings, and other networking events.

Martin Longmore, who manages the Bath office, said: ““Extending our impact beyond the office and into our local community is both incredibly important and rewarding.

“As a business, we recognise the growing number of challenges facing society today, and we want to help where we can.

“By supporting local initiatives, we hope to contribute towards creating a community which fosters growth and provides opportunities for everyone.

“Julian House is a remarkable charity with services that are invaluable when tackling the epidemic of homelessness in our country.

“Its Bike Workshop in Bath is just one example of how they create spaces for the more vulnerable members of our community to receive the boost they need.

“The charity is essentially disrupting the vicious cycle which prevents certain groups from progressing.”