Richmond charity Riverbank secures £228,000 to support homeless families

Riverbank, a Richmond-based charity supporting families facing homelessness, has been awarded £228,091 through the government's Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund — a competitive national grant programme.

The three-year award will fund expanded support for single mothers and their children living in temporary accommodation, including hostels across the borough. Plans include the installation of a dedicated Riverbank cabin at one of those hostels, creating a long-term venue for one-to-one support, group work and community connection.

Riverbank has operated in Richmond since 2010, growing from a single centre to four locations across Richmond, Ham, Whitton and Hampton Wick. The charity works alongside the council, schools, churches and community organisations to provide what it describes as a cycle-breaking model of long-term family support.

While the charity's centres are not based in Barnes, its work draws on the broader Richmond upon Thames support network that Barnes residents are also part of, and the grant reflects the scale of need for family homelessness services across the whole borough. Richmond Council — Riverbank grant announcement