Boomerang Cardiff started its journey as a homeless/poverty organisation, helping citizens that live on the streets who still deserve a little dignity, however the journey developed moving in different directions but still keeping its identity with regards to tackling poverty. Boomerang Cardiff has been developed with the community and volunteers, many volunteers are driven by previous lived experience of homelessness, poverty and social isolation. Following a period of falling on hard times and experiencing homelessness as a self-employed businessman, founder Paul Gwilym began to work with the local community, creating and funding the project himself. Under the umbrella of Boomerang Cardiff, there are four sections to the project
Boomerang Cardiff focus on the needs of the community from all suburbs of Cardiff and work with the community in a number of ways; as a charitable organisation we work hand in hand with the community to support/prevent homelessness, poverty, critical living conditions and social isolation. We aim to help and support local people and families that are down on their luck, quickly and efficiently, working to promote, benefit and empower the inhabitants of Cardiff without distinction of s*x, s*xual orientation, race or of political, religious or other opinions in a common effort to enhance living standards. To date, we have helped over 21,000 families or individuals suffering from material deprivation. We have a successful and robust SLA with The Housing Options Centre of Cardiff City Council so that whenever a homeless family or individual is given the keys to an empty property, we furnish it with the essentials they need to start living again, taking away most of the initial stresses of moving which in turn will give them the chance to focus on what may have made them homeless in the first place, giving them the best possible chance of sustaining their tenancy
We have extremely ambitious plans for the next 5 years. We are in the process, through the help of TNL Fund of applying to purchase the land that our current Boomerang Cardiff unit is based on Eastmoors Road. When successful, we will look to create an almost ‘one-stop poverty park’ where people will be able to get help with ALL forms of poverty. Within Templar Parc, We hope to have a food bank on site, money/benefit advice services, educational training facilities focused on getting people back into work by way of either training or placements. The possibilities are endless once we own the land.
