Community support hub and foodbank awarded £315k
A community hub says an award of a £315,000 National Lottery grant will keep it running for three more years.
The Southend Vineyard Storehouse, which started 20 years ago, said it would have closed had it not been given the money.
The hub, on the Queensway estate in Coleman Street, has a community cafe, warm safe space and foodbank.
Storehouse manager Marie Bryant said the grant would have a "huge" impact on the lives of people in the area and claimed they had helped 18,000 people last year.
"I've put my heart into this project, the money means the world to us," she said.
"It would have been heartbreaking if we had to close; it is such a huge part of people's lives.
"For many, it is the only place they come to once a week."
The money will mainly fund the rental for the building and recruit new staff.
Ms Bryant added: "Now that we can recruit more staff, it means we have set up a rough sleepers session on Tuesdays.
"We're also now looking at doing cookery lessons."
The Storehouse is staffed by five part-time staff and 15 volunteers.
It was founded by Southend Vineyard Church who felt the community was struggling to provide vital support to local families in terms of having an impact on loneliness, isolation, homelessness and poverty.
Natalie Condon is a former volunteer, who became a member of staff
"The Storehouse was a pivotal help in my recovery from addiction in giving me somewhere to go and something to help me," she said.
"My life has changed very much for the better and I now love working here to give back help supporting other people."
Ms Bryant emphasised how much the community hub had helped people and was a key asset to the local community.
"It has literally turned people's lives around," she said.
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Southend Vineyard Church
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
31 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Assura Agrees to Sweetened $2.29 Billion Takeover Offer From KKR, Stonepeak
Assura agreed to an improved takeover offer from KKR KKR 0.62%increase; green up pointing triangle and Stonepeak Partners that values the U.K. healthcare-property investor at 1.70 million pounds ($2.29 billion). Assura said Wednesday that its board agreed on the terms of a recommended final offer with the board of the KKR and Stonepeak consortium—known as Sana Bidco—under which shareholders will get 52.1 pence in cash for each share, including declared dividends.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Capita to roll out AI-powered recruitment this summer
LONDON (Reuters) -Capita, a British outsourcer that works with government, armed forces and companies, said it was using AI to cut recruitment from weeks to just hours, and it would roll out the service, developed with Salesforce Inc, this summer. "We hire about 10,000 people for multiple operations and multiple contracts every year because of the nature of the transient workforce in some of our markets," Chief Executive Adolfo Hernandez said in an interview. Salesforce said Capita was the first business-to-business company in Britain to deploy its Agentforce AI, using it to automate more than 200 tasks, including recruitment, where it speeds up hiring from job specification to shortlisting. Hernandez said the tool, built in the first three months of the year, could produce a qualified pipeline of candidates that had been matched to the job, leaving recruiters more time to dedicate to final interviews and bringing new staff onboard. "We're going to tune it and then when we've got it ready, we'll go to market," he said. "High volume recruitment will probably be going to market this summer." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
GB Group PLC (GBGPF) Full Year 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Growth Amidst Challenges
Release Date: June 10, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. GB Group PLC (GBGPF) reported a revenue increase of 3% on a constant currency basis, indicating growth despite challenging macroeconomic conditions. The company achieved a 9.5% increase in adjusted operating profit, with margins expanding to 23.7%, showcasing improved operational efficiency. Cash conversion remained strong at 91.3%, allowing GB Group PLC (GBGPF) to reduce net debt by over 32 million pounds year on year. The launch of GBG Go, an identity orchestration platform, has already signed customers in key regions and built a strong pipeline, indicating positive market reception. The company maintained a high level of repeatable revenue streams, with 95% of revenue coming from these sources, ensuring stability and predictability in income. Revenue growth was slightly below initial expectations, reflecting ongoing challenges in certain market sectors. The fraud segment experienced a 4% decline in revenue on a constant currency basis, primarily due to timing differences in revenue recognition. The Americas identity business showed flat performance, indicating ongoing challenges in this region despite operational improvements. The company anticipates a similar level of exceptional costs in FY26 as it continues transformation initiatives, which may impact short-term profitability. There is a potential headwind from FX translation expected to affect reported growth in FY26, which could impact financial performance. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Signs with GBGPF. Q: Can you provide more details on the strategic review of global fraud solutions and the decision-making process? Also, how is the competitive landscape in the US changing, and what are the pricing dynamics across your products, particularly in the Americas? A: We evaluated various options for our global fraud solutions and decided to structure it as a single global business, focusing on geographic expansion and leveraging our tier-one customer base. In the US, we are focusing on our execution rather than the competition, targeting areas where we have a strong product-market fit. Regarding pricing, we have been proactive, deploying pricing experts to manage significant customer negotiations and renewals, which has helped maintain our gross margin. (Respondent: CEO and CFO) Q: What are the right sectors for GBG in the US, and how are you managing the transition to a subscription model? Also, how is GBG Go currently priced? A: Our right-to-win sectors include businesses that value global coverage, such as gaming operators. The transition to a subscription model has seen little pushback, as it aligns with market standards. GBG Go is priced with a platform fee and customization based on customer needs, ensuring a productive conversation around their requirements. (Respondent: CEO and CFO) Q: Can you explain the slowdown in momentum in the second half of the year and the outlook for future growth? A: The second half growth was slower due to lapping a strong Q4 and some customer project volumes in identity. However, we are confident in the underlying momentum for FY26, expecting growth to be second-half weighted. We are focused on building growth levers into the business, and the acceleration in growth expected by analysts aligns with our outlook. (Respondent: CFO) Q: How are you managing the risk of customer churn with the transition to new strategic products and the introduction of GBG Go? A: GBG Go was developed based on customer feedback, and we anticipate uplift potential rather than churn risk. The platform offers more value, allowing customers to grow with it, which should enhance net revenue retention (NRR). We are focused on ensuring customers receive the best possible value from the platform. (Respondent: CEO and CFO) Q: What is the strategy behind the move from AIM to the main market, and how will it impact your investor base? A: The move to the main market is intended to increase access to broader pools of capital. We are considering how to make the transition seamless, learning from others who have made similar moves. We have capital optionality, which could be used to address any overhang from the transition. (Respondent: CFO) For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
