More than £500,000 has been allocated by the government to help prevent rough sleeping in Swindon and Wiltshire.

As part of a grant to councils in the south west adding up to £3.5m, Swindon Borough Council will receive £255,000 and Wiltshire Council will be handed £298,500 to help their efforts to get homeless people off the street.

The borough council says the grant is reward for the good work it has already been doing for homeless people.

Head of housing at Euclid Street Mike Ash said: “The council is delighted to receive additional funding that will enable it to continue its current progress of reducing the number of people sleeping rough in Swindon.

“We have received a further £255,000 to deliver a variety of bold and innovative projects including a temporary winter housing provision (which has also been nominated for a national housing award) that enables entrenched rough sleepers to engage with agencies as a community over the winter months, along with a new day centre for the homeless.”

Mr Ash added: “We are providing Housing First flats which directly house individuals with complex needs whilst offering specialist support to reshape their lives; and have employed outreach workers who are successfully engaging with those who have been regularly sleeping rough.”

He explained: “The funding in year one was performance-related – Swindon has delivered good results and therefore has been successful in receiving this additional funding.”

While cities like Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth get large grants, it might be surprising that the biggest grant in the region is £625,000, made to Cornwall Council.

The grants are part of a package of £46 million awarded to local authorities across England as part of the government’s rough sleeping strategy, which aims to end the sight of people sleeping in doorways and streets and parks.

The government’s Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, James Brokenshire said: "We are taking the necessary steps to make that happen, already providing 2,600 additional beds and 750 more support staff for the most vulnerable people in our society.

“But we must keep up the momentum and that’s why we are giving this funding to areas and projects that need it, ensuring progress continues to be made and people are given the help they need to turn their lives around."

“This is all part of the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative, launched last spring, which is providing over £45 million to councils over the next 2 years to support rough sleepers in their area off the streets and into secure accommodation where they can get the help they need to rebuild their lives.”

This winter saw a night shelter co-located with a day centre to allow workers to help as many people as possible.