Member Article

Homelessness specialist rolling out 300 new beds with Lloyds Bank support

A social enterprise business that helps take people off the streets is on track to offer 300 new beds to the homeless this year, with support from Lloyds Bank.

Green Pastures, which has a vision of helping to end homelessness in the UK, is working with partners such as churches and charities across the country to increase bed capacity during its current financial year, which runs to the end of March.

The Southport-based business was founded in 1999 when it began acquiring property to house vulnerable people.

Today it lets property to 80 partners, who in turn provide accommodation to over 1,200 homeless people, with all profits being reinvested into its mission. It hopes to add an additional 20 partners this year.

Green Pastures’ Christian ethos was inspired by the Good Samaritan parable in the Bible, which encourages strangers to help others in need. The organisation has been a Lloyds Bank customer for a decade, securing over £10m of funding during the period.

Managing director Andrew Cunningham said: “We started Green Pastures by providing Christmas shelter to people who needed it most, but the reality is that homelessness is a year-round issue that blights every part of the country. That inspired us to scale up our support and work with partners to offer beds every day of the year.

“While solving the UK’s homelessness problem will take a mammoth effort involving every part of society, we’re proud that we’re playing our part by providing support and a bed for the night to well over a thousand people who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets. Lloyds Bank has been a committed partner to us in helping us deliver our work.”

Steven Atwell, SME relationship director for Merseyside at Lloyds Bank, said: “Andrew and his team have built a brilliant social enterprise in Green Pastures, all resting on the foundations of helping others in need. Our ongoing backing reflects our commitment to providing funding to organisations that do brilliant work in the community and to supporting the Merseyside economy.”

Green Pastures employs over 80 people across the country, including 15 at its Southport head office.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Holly Lynes .