A HAMPSHIRE charity has been awarded £85k to help end women’s homelessness.

The Society of St James, a charity that aims to combat homelessness across Hampshire, has been awarded £85,000 from Homeless Link’s Ending Women’s Homelessness grants programme, funded by the Government’s Tampon Tax Fund.

The Society of St James is one of 29 charities across England, working with women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to receive a grant.

Almost 200 organisations applied for a portion of the £1.85 million pot.

More than 640 women sleep on the streets every night and thousands more do not have access to a safe or suitable home.

Homeless Link’s grants programme aims to help end women’s homelessness by building capacity for gender- and trauma-informed services and developing partnerships between homelessness and specialist women’s sector charities.

The Society of St James will use the funding to deliver an exciting new project across Hampshire called ‘Horizons’.

Horizons will improve accessibility, capacity and outcomes across their accommodation and other support services for 400 women with multiple disadvantage.

The charity claim that there has been a “significant” increase in the number of women presenting as homeless across Southampton and Portsmouth, particularly those who have experienced significant trauma. Many have disclosed domestic or sexual abuse.

Trevor Pickup, Chief Executive of the charity, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant by Homeless Link.

"We have seen a sharp increase in the numbers of women coming into our services, including our substance misuse, homelessness and housing services, many of whom have complex backgrounds and need high levels of support.

"This funding will enable us to be better trained but also to be better prepared to support their needs in a gender and trauma informed way”