A Stoke-based homelessness charity has kicked off the New Year by giving free mobile phones to people who have been impacted by homelessness.  

Concrete, part of Honeycomb Group, is a charity on a mission to end homelessness in Staffordshire and the surrounding areas. 

This month, thanks to a donation from The Community Foundation for Staffordshire, Concrete purchased 50 mobile phones for their customers.  

The donation was secured by Concrete through The Community Foundation's Discover Digital Innovation Programme. The programme works to improve digital inclusion across Stoke-on-Trent to better connect communities and improve the lives of local people. 

Alongside this, customers will also receive a six-month SIM card pre-loaded with 20GB data, unlimited calls and texts thanks to support from Vodafone.  

The charity supports men, women and young people who have been impacted by homelessness (Concrete).

The phones and SIM cards will help Concrete's customers easily stay in touch with their support workers, friends and family. Free data will also mean that they can access the internet to manage their finances and other essential services. 

Dean Marsh, Service Manager at Concrete, said: "We're so grateful to The Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Vodafone for their generous donations of mobile phones and SIM cards. 

 "Many of us take having a mobile phone for granted. We pick it up and don't even think about how lucky we are to have one, but they mean so much to the people that we support.  

"Having access to a mobile phone means that our customers are always connected. They can stay in contact with friends and family and easily get in touch with their support workers and other essential services.

"This all helps them on their journey to independent living and a concrete future."

308 London Road (Google)

Ben Hilton, Operations Officer at The Community Foundation for Staffordshire, said: "The Discover Digital Innovation Programme is a collaboration of partners who want to raise the bar of digital inclusion across Stoke-on-Trent. 

"We are proud to support local community organisations, such as Concrete, in recognition of the vital work they are doing within our communities. 

"It is shocking to see how serious the issue of digital inclusion has become in modern society. We hope that by working together we'll be able to bring about change to improve the lives of local people."

Find out more about Concrete by visiting their website.  

READ MORE: Stoke's newest road connecting Wolstanton to Festival Park opens to motorists

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stoke Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our city.

Please consider following Stoke Nub News on Facebook or Twitter.