CHRISTMAS CHEER DELIVERED TO LIVERPOOL CHARITY BY CHESHIRE BUSINESS

A unique homeless charity in Liverpool will be able to deliver Christmas cheer to its residents this year, thanks to a £5,000 donation from a Cheshire business.

Phoenix Foundation Charity, which recently rebranded from the Cotton Street Project and moved to new premises on Duke Street, hopes the kind donation will help the people it cares for have a memorable Christmas.

The money has been provided by Frodsham-based wind farm operator, Community Windpower, and follows on from the company’s £20,000 funding earlier this year, which helped secure the short-term future of the charity.

Phoenix Foundation Charity provides life-changing and life-saving support, to people who have found themselves sleeping on the streets, many with long-term addictions and nowhere else to turn.

Andrea Pankiw, head of charity at Phoenix Foundation Charity, said: “It’s been a really tough year for the charity, having to rebrand and also move premises, so having this new funding from Community Windpower to help residents have a memorable Christmas is absolutely fantastic.

“Everyone at the charity will be forever grateful to Diane and the team at Community Windpower, not just for the Christmas donation, but for literally securing the future of the Phoenix Foundation Charity.

“Without support from Community Windpower we thought the shelter would close in April, but six months on we’ve achieved so much and now we’re able to provide presents and food for residents, some of whom won’t have experienced that for many years.

“We’re now in a much better position as we approach 2021, even though our usual source of funding through donations and charity events virtually dried up this year.

“Now we have hope restored, can deliver come Christmas cheer, and firmly believe we can survive the Covid-19 situation and prosper in the future as a self-sustaining charity.”

Phoenix Foundation Charity moved to the new premises on Duke Street in July and the new facilities enable people to have their own bedrooms and bathrooms for privacy, while also providing and supporting residents to be able to lead independent lives in the future.

This can be in the form of skills workshops and professional support.

The charity currently receives no funding from the council and survives purely on donations, but has been able to secure a HMO (home of multiple occupancy) licence to access further funding.

Since opening it has helped more than 100 people get off the streets and provide them with a platform to live independent lives without addiction or mental health problems.

“Some of the residents have been with us for months, with most having serious addictions and all suffering from mental health problems,” added Andrea.

“With all services under one roof, we provide one-to-one support to help people overcome addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, as well as mental health issues, which is not available elsewhere.

“Our long-term goal is to eradicate homelessness in Liverpool, but this can only be achieved by working together and receiving support from organisations like Community Windpower.”

Community Windpower, which operates seven wind farms in Scotland, has previously raised more than £100,000 for charities through its annual challenge, and is looking to work with Phoenix Foundation Charity on a more permanent basis in the future.

Diane Wood, community benefits director at Community Windpower, said: “We’ve been living in worrying and unprecedented times for everyone, and as a business we’ve been digging deep to help people in communities that are being negatively impacted by Covid-19.

“Phoenix Foundation Charity is a unique homeless shelter with a long-term initiative, and we’re delighted to be able to help them continue providing the vital support, and bring Christmas festivities to the charity’s residents.

“The project has a real community feel and is making such a huge difference to people; it was an easy decision to continue helping Andrea and her team provide vital help and support to people when they need it most.”

About Community Windpower:

Community Windpower Ltd is at the forefront of wind energy development in the UK with over 1GW built, under construction and in development. We are proven renewable energy specialists, experienced in the identification, design, development, construction and operation of onshore wind farms. 

We believe in an open and consultative approach with local host communities during all stages of the development process to ensure clean energy is generated to meet local energy needs. Operating since 2001, we have a dedicated team of highly experienced civil and electrical engineers and environmental professionals who are committed to renewable energy to help reduce the serious threat that Climate Change now poses

Our Operational Wind Farms:

• Dalry Community Wind Farm, North Ayrshire: comprises 6 turbines, generating 18MW, and was commissioned in 2006.
• Aikengall Community Wind Farm, East Lothian: comprises 16 turbines, generating 48MW, and was commissioned in 2009.
• Millour Hill Community Wind Farm, North Ayrshire: comprises 6 turbines, generating 18 MW, and was commissioned in 2012. This scheme stands adjacent to our Dalry Wind Farm.
• Calder Water Community Wind Farm, South Lanarkshire: comprises 13 turbines, generating 39MW, and was commissioned in 2014.
• Millour Hill Extension Community Wind Farm, North Ayrshire: comprises 2 turbines, generating up to 6.4MW, and was commissioned in 2016. This scheme is an extension of our Millour Hill Wind Farm.
• Aikengall II Community Wind Farm, East Lothian: comprises 19 turbines, generating up to 63.8MW, and was commissioned in 2017. This scheme stands adjacent to our Aikengall Wind Farm
• Sanquhar Community Wind Farm, Dumfries and Galloway: comprises 9 turbines, generating 30MW, and was commissioned in 2018

Our 'Buy Scottish' policy is a crucial component of all of our projects, as we maintain our commitment to Scotland and its green energy industry, and are set to invest over £2 billion in the Scottish economy.

Pictured - Phoenix Foundation Charity's premises on Duke Street.