Giving a homeless person somewhere to live is not necessarily the end of their problems- many people have no possessions to run a home. Reporter CHARLOTTE McDONALD spoke to a group trying to help.

TWO women who run a Homeless Starter Pack Scheme have been providing basic necessities to people who have very little - to get them started again.

The bundle contains a variety of households items from towels, bed linen, pots, pans, a kettle as well as deodorant, washing up liquid, toothbrush and toilet roll amongst other things.

Items such as pots and sheets can be donated second hand, but they need to some goods new for safety and hygiene reasons such as electrical goods and toiletries.

Anne Horner, who has been running the project with her colleague Ruth Gall, said: “The flats are just shells - they have nothing in them.

“Our starter packs just help them to get on with their lives.”

The pair got the project started two years ago following a presentation at their local church - St Peter and St Paul’s in Church Road, Bromley.

A similar scheme has been running in Glasgow for more than 20 years and advice was passed on, including the types of items which would be useful to someone starting a home.

Since 2007, the Bromley pair have supplied 51 starter packs and the demand is growing all the time.

Mrs Horner, 55, said: It’s really picked up, we have done an awful lot.

“Since November we have done as many packs as we did in the previous 18 months.”

While seventy-one-year-old Mrs Gall said: “We are getting one or two requests a week.”

But the pack organisers never meet the recipients they just respond to requests from agencies who are helping to find homes for people.

Most come from Bromley Council’s support and resettlement unit, but others come from charities who help young people, ex-prisoners and victims of violence find new homes.

Always looking for second-hand donated items, Anne said: “There’s a really strong recycling aspect here.

“When people are thinking about changing stuff, it’s not just a case of taking it to the tip - this could help someone start out.

“We don’t do furniture - there are other charities that do that.”

They are always looking for donated goods, money to buy electrical goods and toiletries and even a place to store them.

Mrs Horner said: It’s been a long learning curve for us but I think we are doing a good service for the borough.”

To find out how you can donate call 020 8289 3987 or 07860 100201.