Homeless charity Brighter Futures extends hours
A charity which helps homeless people in Staffordshire has been given £13,000 to extend its service.
Brighter Futures' rough sleepers' team goes out every day to search for people who are sleeping rough in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme.
The charity helps to move homeless people into accommodation.
The organisation has been given the money by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to extend the service throughout the winter months.
The team can see up to 12 people on one night who are sleeping rough.
Between April and September this year they supported 104 people sleeping on the streets - an increase of 36 for the same period last year.
Gill Brown, chief executive of Brighter Futures, said: "The winter months are a particularly difficult time for people who find themselves sleeping rough so this additional money has been a vital boost to the service we are able to offer.
"With this money we can now guarantee that the team will be out every single day, including weekends and bank holidays throughout the festive season and winter months."