SIX properties in Southampton and Portsmouth will be purchased and refurbished to provide accommodation for up to 40 women involved in the criminal justice system and their children.

One Small Thing (OST), the charity behind Hope Street, a pioneering residential community which will soon house up to 124 women and their children, has received a second social investment loan of £3.3m from Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC).

The project aims to prevent women from receiving custodial sentences just because this is the only option available.

At Hope Street, women can meet the requirements of a community sentence in a safe, calm, and nurturing environment, where their children can live with them and they can access therapy, treatment and support.

It will also help them access training and employment and make new links into the local community.

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SASC’s first investment in OST was a £380,000 loan from its Community and Investment Fund, which funded five self-contained flats, as well as a large restorative outdoor space.

This latest investment, from SASC’s Social and Sustainable Housing fund, will add further move on accommodation.

OST was founded in 2018 and is led by inspirational philanthropist and tireless prison reformer Lady Edwina Grosvenor.

Southampton was carefully selected as there are no prisons for women in Hampshire and Southampton is where a third of offences in Hampshire occur. Of the 877 women arrested in Hampshire between November 1 2018 and October 31 2019, 33 per cent were from Southampton.

Women from Southampton who receive a custodial sentence are sent out of area, often more than 60 miles away from their home, making it very difficult for families to visit.

Claire Hubbertsey, Chief Executive of One Small Thing said, "Hope Street will be a restorative environment where women can thrive and access vital services, without the added trauma of being separated from their children. It is designed to become a centre of excellence that can be replicated across the UK."

Ben Rick, Co-Founder and CEO of SASC added: "The programme will positively impact the life outcomes for many women and their children and enable them to break out of the cycle of crime and deprivation, and transition to independent housing."