Swindon Borough Council has been awarded £194,125 to help rough sleepers off the streets and into accommodation.

This is part of the government’s £30m rough sleeping initiative fund, which has been awarded to 83 local authorities in England.

The council estimates there have been between 23 and 28 rough sleepers on Swindon’s streets over the past few months and the funding will be specifically targeted at those individuals who have opted not to engage with existing council-funded services.

A proportion of the funds will focus on prevention and building on the existing key scheme, which supports 40 single people in the private sector who are most at risk of homelessness.

There will also be a service to provide mental health training for 25 members of staff from partner agencies to help them with their work with rough sleepers.

Just under a third of the funding has also been earmarked for the council’s temporary winter housing provision.

The project, which was run for the first time this year, offered intensive support to a dozen rough sleepers for a 12-week period with nine of those that took part having sustained permanent accommodation.

Coun Cathy Martyn, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “I am really pleased that the government has supported our projects to tackle the issue of rough sleeping in Swindon.A lot of the work that the council does to tackle homelessness goes unseen, but I would like to assure residents that our housing team, and our partners, are working tirelessly to help those people in need. Our temporary winter housing provision and associated work with this year’s group of individuals has demonstrated our ability to develop new approaches and has been a key part of our bid that has helped draw in additional funding for Swindon.

“The new rough sleeper strategy will allow us to continue this work and try other means of helping a small group of people who struggle to accept and engage with the help that is offered to them.”