Healthbus is a mobile charity that provides specialist healthcare to homeless people in the Bournemouth area, which has one of the highest rough sleeping counts in the UK, and a significant homeless population. They provide vital care where it’s needed, on the streets.
The Randal Foundation are pleased to partner with HealthBus to support a part-time Outreach Nurse for Women. The role will strengthen HealthBus’ existing outreach service for women experiencing homelessness or severe housing insecurity across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
The nurse will meet women in places where they feel safer and more able to engage. Support will include health assessments, wound care, sexual and reproductive health advice, medication support, safeguarding, advocacy and referrals into other services. Many of the women reached are living with complex physical and mental health needs, trauma, abuse or exploitation, and often find it difficult to use mainstream healthcare.
This support will allow HealthBus to offer more consistent, women-focused support and intervene earlier, before health problems become more serious. It will also help women build trusted connections with primary care, mental health services, housing teams and other specialist organisations. Over 12 months, our partnership expects to support around 60 women, with six lives potentially saved and 54 lives significantly improved.
Quote from Deano Pickering, HealthBus CEO
“We are incredibly grateful to the Randal Charitable Foundation for supporting this important work. This funding will make a real difference to our clinical team by giving us dedicated capacity to support women whose needs are often complex, urgent and hidden from view. It will help us reach women earlier, build trust and provide care in a way that feels safe, respectful and compassionate. Most importantly, it will give more women the chance to improve their health, feel safer and connect with the wider support they need.”
Quote from Chris Wakefield, HealthBus Chairman
“We are sincerely grateful to the Randal Charitable Foundation for this generous support. Their investment will strengthen our clinical team, helping us reach vulnerable women earlier, provide compassionate specialist care, and create lasting improvements in health, safety and future stability.”
