Reading: Alana House Safe For 1 More Year

14 February 2013, 06:00

A charity that helps women in Reading stay away from crime says they're already looking at funding for next year - despite just getting this year's approved.

Alana House - which supports vulnerable women - secured £175,000 to stay open until April 2014. They had been at risk of stopping services as they feared funding would be cut.

The centre, based in South Street, is run by family support charity Parents And Children Together and is a one-stop shop for vulnerable women with multiple social problems that put them at risk of offending.

PACT has told Heart the future of the centre is secure for another 12 months thanks to funding from Thames Valley Probation and JP Getty Charitable Trust.

PACT chief executive Jan Fishwick said: "We are delighted that Alana House has received funding for 2013/14 courtesy of Thames Valley Probation and J P Getty charitable trust.

"We are very grateful to all involved in achieving this outcome which will mean we can continue support the 300 vulnerable women that rely on this service.

"But our efforts will continue to find more funding to be able to reach out to even more vulnerable women and ensure Alana House can continue for many years. 

The charity says Alana House is the only service of its kind in the area, and brings a value of over £35.1m of economic or social benefit from a project which only costs £175,000 per annum to run*.

The charity says from April 2014 they still need £145,000 to remain open after securing £30,000 from the J P Getty charitable trust for each of the next next two years.

* According to a report by Baker Tilly and the Cass Business School into the Social Return on Investment for Alana House.