An estimated 320,000 people in Britain are homeless, which has increased 4 per cent over the last year. To combat the reality of this statistic, Oak Foundation has just announced a pilot programme that will utilise the resources of three experienced partner charities, Pro Bono Economics, Cranfield Trust, and Pilotlight, to benefit 10 housing and homelessness charities in its portfolio. Launching in early 2019, this programme is set to run for two years.

‘The programme will leverage the specialist skills of professional volunteers sourced through three partner charities: Pro Bono Economics will advise Oak Foundation’s portfolio charities on measuring and evaluating their impact, while Cranfield Trust and Pilotlight will offer coaching and mentoring and services in areas such as business planning, governance and financial management.’

A collaborative approach will utilize each partner charity’s skill set and experience working with homelessness and housing charities before: ‘Oak Foundation has recognised that a collaborative approach is key to equipping its grantees with crucial business skills as they deal with the challenges of the operating environment and of building long-term resilience.’

Julia Grant, Chief Executive of Pro Bono Economics, comments, ‘Pro Bono Economics, Cranfield Trust and Pilotlight have already helped thousands of charities to survive and thrive. By joining forces in this new programme for the Oak Foundation, we are creating a comprehensive advisory package for frontline charities in the housing and homelessness sector.’

For more information, visit https://www.pilotlight.org.uk/news/.