TEARDROPS Homeless Support hub has been awarded a grant of £54,000 from The National Lottery to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.

The funds are for a six month full time role as Covid 19 Volunteer Coordinator to help us organise the Crab Street' hub's return back to normal work supporting the homeless and vulnerable in the community as well as revenue to pay rent for three months and cover wages for the next six months.

Nick Dyer, the hub manager said: "We can now set about transforming our Hub and make it safe for service users to visit allowing us to support them with housing and benefit claims and whatever else they need.

"Teardrops has always been committed to providing the best support we can to anyone vulnerable in the community and it has been a difficult few months not being able to have our service users in the building but we are confident that we will put the safest measures in place once social distancing guidelines are dropped.

"During this time we will be operating a door service on our usual nights until we are able to open fully and our homeless can dine with us inside our Hub once more.

"All the while we will continue to cook meals for the rough sleepers currently accomodated in a hotel and supply essential food parcels to the shielding residents and children we have been helping via St Helens Together and our own service.

"We would like to thank all the community, social groups and businesses who have supported us during this period with donations without their help we wouldn't have been able to do what we have done.

"The people of St Helens should be proud of what you have achieved."