A charity, which provides food, clothes and furniture to homeless people and families struggling on the poverty line, has been thrown a £21,000 lifeline by Wales & West Housing.
The housing association, which has 20,000 residents living in its homes across Wales, is sponsoring Boomerang, Cardiff with £21,000 to help cover its running costs for a year.
The donation will help the newly formed and rapidly growing charity to continue its work helping local people who are down on their luck.
Boomerang Cardiff was founded in 2012 by Cardiff entrepreneur Paul Gwilym after he became homeless and found himself living in a warehouse in the city. While talking to other homeless people, he realised there was a need for a service and started collecting furniture, clothes and food to help other homeless people. Since its beginnings, the charity has far exceeded its modest mission to help 100 families in need.
The charity now collects donations of unwanted furniture and clothes from individuals, house clearances and items that would be normally be thrown out and recycles them. From its warehouse/community centre in Splott, Cardiff, Boomerang’s team of 50 volunteers provide starter packs of mugs, kettles, toasters, plates and glasses for homeless people moving into their first accommodation and furniture and white goods for working families in need.
Founder Paul Gwilym said,
“The sponsorship from Wales & West Housing is amazing. It means we can put our efforts into what’s important – helping families in need. This donation will cover the cost of our rent, heating and lighting for a year, giving our charity time to apply for other grants and raise more funds.
“Each and every person that works for Boomerang Cardiff has either experienced homelessness or the strains of poverty themselves or knows of a person who has and are able to understand what the people need and how quickly they need it.”
Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive of Wales & West Housing, said,
“Boomerang Cardiff is doing a great job supporting families in need in Cardiff and the wider surrounding area. In the past year, it has helped more than 2,200 families, which far exceeds their initial aim to help 100.
“As an organisation Wales & West Housing aims to make a difference to people’s lives, homes and communities. By supporting charities like Boomerang we can help more families in need and give homeless people the things they need to enable them to settle in a safe and secure home of their own.”
“The volunteers at Boomerang Cardiff work together as a team for the common good to achieve to tackle poverty. Their purpose is simple – to help and support people who are down on their luck quickly and efficiently to enable them to get back on their feet and empower them to get on with their lives and this reflects Wales & West Housing’s mission too.”
