Building sustainable and resilient communities.

We continue to enhance our network of Community Hub spaces where we can work alongside Community organisations to host opportunities in our heartland areas.  Hays Community Hub (Edinburgh) reaches 1,600 People annually and provides rent-free space for groups and charities to deliver cost-of-living support, employability, and youth sessions. The Hub has been supported by a grant from the Scottish National Lottery Fund to expand over the next three years. 

Tunley Holme Community Hub in Lancashire opened in August 2024; this refurbished space hosts Customer-led events, housing drop-ins, and ‘Men’s Sheds’ craft sessions. 

One of the People supported said, “It gives me the opportunity to meet new people and provides a break in the day. I get to meet different people; talk about things we have in common and forget about things.”

Many of our projects focus on tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) through intervention, education, and diversionary activities that ensure our neighbourhoods remain safe. 

In Chorley, we work with the Adlington and District Community Association to support the Adlington Youth Club, which serves over 100 young People monthly by providing free food and enrichment activities that play a vital role in reducing local ASB.

Similarly, in Edinburgh, we support Wester Hailes United at the Wester Hailes Community Sports Hub. This project uses football to bring together young People from diverse backgrounds, fostering personal development, preventing bullying, and providing essential anti-racism education to strengthen Community cohesion. 

Places for People’s Procurement Hub donates 10% of its profits to impactful causes: 50% to national charities like Samaritans and Diabetes UK, and 50% to the Thriving Communities programme, which recently funded ten Community projects across the UK with £17,500 each. 

In Exeter, this funding supports St. Petrock’s, a vital lifeline for those experiencing homelessness. Amid rising demand, the centre provides daily essentials - such as meals, showers, and sleeping bags—alongside mental health support. 74% of clients report their ability to cope has stabilised or improved even if they are still experiencing homelessness. One individual shared: “St Petrock’s have been a very positive addition to my life... it always feels as if they have all the time in the world for us.” 

The programme also funds Cook for Good, a Social Enterprise in Camden and Islington. Through a surplus food pantry, café, and employability scheme, the project works to ensure that the Community has access to affordable nutritious food and can build skills and experience with training and paid work experience; local residents are able to not only improve their wellbeing but also build strong social connections and clear pathways into employment. After ten visits, 100% of pantry users reported feeling less concerned about food costs. Furthermore, their six-month volunteering placement has already helped five People transition into paid employment since April 2025. As one volunteer noted: “The push from Cook for Good helped me so much to believe in myself.”

Since 2013, the Touchstone Fund has awarded nearly £50,000 annually to initiatives tackling homelessness and helping Customers maintain their tenancies. For example, in 2024/25, the Fund supported Customers transiting from our Young Parents Pathway in Northumberland with essential white goods and home furnishings for their new homes and provided training for young parents with vital life skills, covering home finance, home maintenance, and health and safety to ensure long-term stability.

Our commitment to practical support continued with a national campaign for World Homeless Day, where Colleagues and partners collected and distributed over 1,200 sleeping bags to those in need. Furthermore, in February 2025, we expanded our modular housing model by opening seven one-bedroom modular homes at Stonebridge Park, Bristol to help People live independently with access to support workers. The launch follows the success of a similar project in the city where eight modular homes were developed in partnership with the Hill Group and Bristol City Council.