A HOSTEL for the homeless that faced closure after losing its council funding will stay open for another year thanks to public donations.
The Padley Homeless Hostel, in Becket Street, Derby, had been getting more than £100,000 a year from Derby City Council.
But it was one of several organisations affected by the authority's decision to cut its "housing-related support budget" from the last financial year's £6,675,000 to £3,675,000 for 2013-14.
This was part of the council's plans to save £62 million over the next three years in the face of cuts to its grants from Government.
The Padley Group launched a campaign aimed at keeping the 10-bed hostel open. It called for 4,000 people to donate £2 each every month.
Now group chairman Pat Zadora has said that people's "stunning generosity" so far has meant she can announce the hostel will stay open for another year.
Mrs Zadora said that 766 people had agreed to the regular donations but that many had offered more than £2 a month and there had also been lump-sum donations.
She said: "We are talking just 11 or 12 weeks since we launched the campaign and it's been absolutely marvellous.
"People have just been so outraged by what's happened that they have responded and the residents are very relieved. The regular donations people have agreed to are anything from £2 to £40 a month."
Mrs Zadora said the centre provided a bed for more than 100 homeless people a year so it meant "one hundred lives could be rebuilt".
But she said she was "going on faith" in deciding to make the announcement as the Padley Group still needs about another 700 people to sign up to regular donations in the coming months.
She said: "It is absolutely critical that people keep signing up to donate."
Councillor Fareed Hussain, cabinet member for adults and health, responsible for tackling homelessness, said that he was delighted the hostel had "attracted this level of funding from the public".
He said: "They (the Padley Group) have been providing a service in an excellent manner.
"It's not that we didn't value the service, it's just that we didn't have the money to fund it through council funding.
"The council was forced into this situation," added Councillor Hussain.
People can find out more details about becoming one of the "Padley 4,000" by calling Derby 774480, or e-mailing admin@padleygroup.com.
chris.mallett@derbytelegraph.co.uk
