New prize to recognise the contribution of service users to homelessness services

12 April 2006

The Michael Whippman Prize, Homeless Link

Homeless Link today (12 April 2006) launched a new award to recognise and reward service users who have made major contributions to the development of services for homeless people.

The Michael Whippman Prize was established in honour of the former Chairman of one of Homeless Link’s predecessor organisations, who died in 2001. He was passionately interested in the causes of homelessness and how that cycle could be broken. The prize aims to encourage innovative thinking or work in the area of homelessness.

The prize is open to individuals or groups and to people who have experienced services in the past, as well as existing service users. A panel of judges, including service users, a representative from Homeless Link, and a member of staff from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will review the applications, and the winning individual or group will receive a £500 award, to be presented at Homeless Link’s annual conference, 4-6 July 2006.

Rebecca Sycamore, Director of Regional Development at Homeless Link, said:

‘I’m very excited to be launching this award. Not only does it give the sector a fantastic opportunity to applaud the vital contributions that people experiencing homelessness are making to shaping the services they use, it also recognises the experience, knowledge and potential that only they can bring.’