A HOMELESS charity has taken over a service finding the rough-sleepers of Bournemouth and Poole a home.

St Mungo's aims to help homeless people leave the streets behind for good and is jointly funded by Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole.

The charity will now assist the Bournemouth and Poole Rough Sleeper Team in a bid to decrease the number of those sleeping rough.

At the last official count in November officials found 39 people homeless in Bournemouth and 11 in Poole - an increase on previous years in line with the rest of the country.

The Bournemouth and Poole Rough Sleeper Team will be on shift six days per week and will be working with people to access accommodation and support for issues to do with health and employment in an effort to help people rebuild their lives away from homelessness.

Paul Hudson, regional head at St Mungo’s, said: "Rough sleeping is harmful and dangerous and ruins lives, and no one should have to sleep rough in this day and age. We'll be working with people to tackle the particular problems that lead to them sleeping rough and aiming to connect them with services as needed, from housing to health services and into skills and work opportunities.

"Rough sleeping is not inevitable and we know that concerted action works. We are looking forward to working with local partners in Bournemouth and Poole to support people as they move away from homelessness and on with their lives."

Councillor Robert Lawton, cabinet member for housing at Bournemouth council, said: “We are extremely pleased to have St Mungo’s on board providing the town’s rough sleeper outreach service who will continue the good work previously delivered by CGL over the last few years.

"They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge and they will play an essential part in supporting rough sleepers off the street.”

Councillor Karen Rampton, cabinet portfolio holder for housing and communities at Borough of Poole, said: “One of our priorities is to support the most vulnerable members of our community, and the service provided by St Mungo’s will help us to provide the support needed to keep rough sleepers safe and, ultimately, help them off the streets. It's important to address the issues which may have led to individuals being on the streets in the first place, and to help prevent their mental and physical health from deteriorating.”

St Mungo's already delivers rough sleeping outreach services in London, Bristol, Reading, Oxford, Brighton, and South Essex.