This International Women’s Day, a homelessness charity celebrates being one step closer to helping women in Gloucester. 

Hope and Vision Communities are delighted to announce a £14,000 funding award from the Benefact Trust to support the purchase of a home for vulnerable women in the Gloucester area.

The funding will contribute towards the deposit for a dedicated women’s house to provide safe, long-term accommodation for women in recovery from addiction and other complex challenges.

Across the Gloucester region, there is a shortage of women-only accommodation, particularly for those who are no longer using substances, and want stable, supportive longer-term housing. Too many vulnerable women are left with an impossible choice of either accepting rooms in mixed settings alongside men, or with people who are still using drugs or alcohol. This can lead to relapse, exploitation, and further trauma.

Kim, a local woman who is in recovery explains why this is important; “from what I’ve seen, and from my own experience, nine out of ten women coming out of addiction experience a lot of traumas that you have to work through. You come out feeling a bit broken and quite fragile. You need to feel safe. Even more so when you have a child involved and want to bring them back into your life. You need an environment where you can have 1-2-1 time with them, without people who might be unsafe coming in and out”.

There is also a shortage of supported housing for mothers who are seeking to rebuild relationships with their children. Hannah Shead, Hope and Vision Women’s Housing Lead explains more.

“As part of our consultation process, we spoke to some incredible women, who had completed their rehab recovery and were getting their lives back on track. A big part of that was rebuilding their relationship with their children, but this was made harder for those living in shared accommodation. They told us how it felt like the system set them up to fail. We want to help them to succeed, and to help them break the cycle with their own children.”

Hope and Vision Communities is a grassroots organisation founded in 2020 by Tony Attwood, a former prisoner now in addiction recovery, and Peter, the judge who once sentenced him. Despite their very different backgrounds, both men share a profound understanding of what it takes to break the cycle of addiction. Tony had spent 15 years trapped in that cycle, with over 400 arrests, 80 charges, and 50 convictions rooted in unresolved trauma.

“When I came out of rehab in 2018. I approached over 100 landlords and met 100 forms of rejection, before anyone would rent me a property. I set up Hope and Vision Communities so that other people wouldn’t have to go through the same thing at this crucial point.  With rejection being a huge trigger for relapse, we wanted to ease the transition for a greater chance of success. Going to rehab is a good foundation, but it is when you come out of rehab, the hard work really starts, so having a safe place to live is so important. At Hope and Vision, we first provide a home, but then we help to build a recovery community to encourage and support people on their journey.”

Since opening their first home in Reading five years ago, the charity has grown to nine houses and built strong partnerships with treatment providers, landlords, and funders, helping dozens of people rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.

The new women’s house represents an important step in extending this proven approach to a group whose needs are too often overlooked, bringing lasting impact to the Gloucester landscape. As well as purchasing a house for women, Hope and Vision are also looking for local landlords to partner with. They are calling out for any landlords who might have a two-bed property to rent to get in touch.

Hannah Shead explains that the charity can offer landlords “long-term agreements with stability and guaranteed income through consistent payments, including during any void periods. At the same time, landlords can make a significant social impact by contributing directly to individuals’ recovery and long-term independence.”

By offering long-term accommodation alongside wraparound support and opportunities for meaningful activity, residents are enabled not just to survive, but to thrive as active members of a supportive community. Evidence shows that investment in recovery delivers significant public value, with drug and alcohol treatment generating an estimated £3–£4 return for every £1 invested. Early projections for the women’s community suggest a social return on investment of 6:1—meaning that for every £1 spent, £6 is saved across health, justice, and social care systems—demonstrating that providing homes and hope is both a compassionate and economically sound solution.

Paul Playford, Senior Grants and Programmes Officer for Benefact Trust, explains why the Trust wanted to support this project: “With our headquarters based here in Gloucester, it’s a privilege to support a project that’s helping women in our local area. This project will provide women in recovery with the safe, stable home they urgently need to rebuild their lives. Hope and Vision’s proven approach offers a pathway to long‑term recovery for women, which will not only change their lives, but also the lives of their families and loved ones.”

Work now continues to raise the rest of the funds towards the purchase - please help by donating, registering to our newsletter and spreading the word!