COLCHESTER Council has been given more than £385,000 to help rough sleepers find long-term support and accommodation.

The £385,572 is part of the latest round of £200 million to be released by the Government as part of its Rough Sleeping Initiative.

Money will be used to support the work of the Colchester Rough Sleeper Team, with additional funding coming from the council direct as well as charity Peabody.

According to the authority's most recent rough sleeper count, which took place in November, there were an estimated four people on the streets.

Of these, the council says one was known to the authority, two had accommodation and the fourth came from outside Colchester.

A spokesman for Colchester Council said: "We are extremely pleased to have secured this latest funding, which will continue our work to prevent people returning to the streets following the Government’s national Everyone In scheme begun during the first lockdown in March 2020.

“This additional money will help us to build on the important work already being undertaken by the Colchester Rough Sleeper Team, to find longer term support and accommodation for rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.

“It will also be used to provide the right level of support, which will be developed to meet the individual needs of rough sleepers, ensuring they are supported in their new homes and provided with a vital stepping stone to living independently without the need for sustained support.

“Alongside the £385,572 in Government funding, the council and Peabody will also be investing additional money in the project, which has already made a real difference to the lives of rough sleepers and vulnerable people at risk of homelessness in the borough."

Colchester MP Will Quince said rough sleeping was one of the "most pressing issues of our time" and the Government was committed to tackling it.

He said: "I have been inspired and heartened to see the amazing work that can happen in this area when the Government, local authorities, and charities work closely together, and no where else has this been more evident in recent years than during this pandemic.

"This work continues and, as of January, tens of thousands of people have been supported so far with over 11,000 in emergency accommodation and over 26,000 provided with settled accommodation."

If you see someone sleeping rough, visit www.streetlink.org.uk download the free mobile app for Apple and Android, or call 0300 500 0914.