Meeting Greater Change
I had the pleasure of meeting Katy Williams, Operations Officer at Greater Change, to hear about their new partnership with Coventry City Council and the difference it is beginning to make.
Greater Change began in Oxford and is now based in London, working with councils and charities across the UK to provide personalised budgets that help people move forward from homelessness. Coventry City Council joined that list this summer, with referrals starting in August 2025, and already the partnership is finding its feet and changing lives.
How the partnership works
Greater Change is a nonprofit with a clear and practical mission: to help people overcome the barriers that keep them stuck in homelessness. Those barriers are often small but powerful. A missing ID document, a shortfall in rent, a mattress, work clothes, or the cost of a bus pass to get to a new job can make the difference between stability and a return to crisis. By offering flexible, person-led budgets, Greater Change aims to remove those obstacles quickly and allow people to move on with their plans. Since 2018, they have helped over 1,800 people, with 85% moving into and sustaining their own accommodation each year.
The partnership with Coventry City Council reflects that approach perfectly. Each side contributed a matched amount to be spent through five frontline charitable organisations chosen by the Council. These are P3, Kairos Women Working Together, Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, St Basils, and Tabono Homes. Each organisation works directly with people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, helping them to identify what support will make a real difference.
What the grants cover
Once a support worker and client have agreed what is needed, the support worker submits a referral to Greater Change. The application is reviewed, discussed if necessary, and then approved funding is transferred to the partner organisation as a restricted fund for that individual. The client never receives money directly, but they get exactly what they need to take the next step. That might mean paying off a small debt to unlock a tenancy, buying furniture for a new flat, replacing ID or paying for education and training. It can also mean something that supports wellbeing, such as a gym membership or access to equipment that helps someone rebuild structure in their life. Greater Change goes further by checking the details around each grant to make sure it can be used fully. If a gym membership is approved, they make sure the person has suitable clothes, trainers and travel costs covered too. The aim is to provide enough for change to stick, not just to half-fund a solution that will not last.
Katy described Coventry as a place where trust and quality run through the partnership. Referrals are carefully thought through, and she can see that the support workers involved care deeply about their clients. In her words, it is a relief to work with people who are so good at what they do and who use the funding responsibly. For Greater Change, that sense of mutual trust is central. Their whole model relies on professionals who understand the people they work with and know what will have a transformative impact.
The criteria for funding in Coventry are intentionally broad. The focus is on single people or childless couples who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including those who are pregnant or have children in care. The funding supports early prevention, move-on into accommodation, and the sustainment of housing once people are settled. Coventry City Council has been open to creative ideas too. If something unusual clearly helps a person rebuild stability, they are willing to back it. That flexibility is one of the reasons the partnership is already working well.
Early outcomes in Coventry
Although the Coventry programme is still in its early stages, the feedback reaching Greater Change is already encouraging. Support workers often send quick messages of thanks once a grant has been approved and a barrier removed. Those early successes are what keep the energy high and prove the value of personalised budgets. As the months go on, there will be more stories of transformation to share.
A member of the team at Kairos WWT shared this with us
“A brand-new SMART TV was purchased for one of my women with the funding from Greater Change. It was so lovely to witness the woman receiving the TV, as it has instilled in her that she is worth it and she deserves to have nice belongings just like the next person. The woman was absolutely overjoyed that someone had thought she was worthy of the new TV, which in turn has given her a new sense of self-worth. Due to the woman living alone, she feels quite isolated, but can now watch what she wants to on the TV as it has given her the opportunity to watch channels she didn’t have before. She was so excited to get it out of the box and set it up, as she feels it’s a welcome distraction from using class A drugs. It has also given her the belief that she can have a nice home with nice things around her and has set her on a journey of self-discovery. A huge success”
Kairos WWT shared that generally, their practitioners have found the process of applying very straightforward and the staff at Greater Change extremely helpful. They all speak very highly of the scheme and the value to the women they support, especially in the provision of things to enrich their lives, something that for many is sadly lacking.
We also heard from a member of the team at the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre who shared
“Based on our experience to date, the programme has proven to be immensely beneficial. This combination of financial support and guidance has empowered our clients to advance critical initiatives that might have otherwise faced significant obstacles.
The application process has been well-structured and transparent, and decisions have been made in a timely and efficient manner, we are already witnessing meaningful outcomes and are enthusiastic about that potential that lies ahead
For example, client A received £326.70 for denture replacement, the dentures restored the client’s ability to eat comfortably, speak clearly, and regain confidence in social and professional settings. This improvement in health and self-esteem has contributed to their overall wellbeing and readiness to engage in work and community life”
These kinds of outcomes, like improved wellbeing, restored confidence and renewed opportunities, are at the heart of what Greater Change aims to enable. The simplicity of the process means that frontline staff can respond quickly to individual needs, while the flexibility of the funding ensures that support is truly person centred. In Coventry, this is already translating into tangible and meaningful progress for people who might otherwise remain stuck without the small but vital boost that personalised budgets can provide.
Aligning with the Positive Pathway
This collaboration also fits neatly within the West Midlands Combined Authority Homelessness Taskforce’s Positive Pathway model. Personalised budgets sit at the prevention stage, offering timely help before homelessness becomes entrenched. They also support people to move on from crises more quickly and stay settled for longer. The approach embodies the principles of the Designing Out Homelessness framework by addressing practical barriers early, coordinating across services and keeping each person’s goals at the centre of decision-making.
Looking ahead
One of the most striking things about Greater Change’s work is its simplicity. There are no complicated forms or long waits for approval, and the amounts involved are often small compared with traditional funding streams. Yet the results can be life-changing. Having a bed to sleep on, clothes for work or a bus pass to visit family can make all the difference between hope and despair. These are the quiet, practical changes that give people back control.
Relationships are the thread that holds this together. Coventry City Council oversees and monitors the programme, ensuring that the funding is used well. The partner charities know their clients closely and bring forward considered, thoughtful referrals. Greater Change listens and responds quickly, respecting the experience of frontline workers. This shared trust keeps the process running smoothly and allows the focus to stay where it belongs, on the person being supported.
How members of the public can give help to the work of Greater Change
Members of the public who would like to support Greater Change can give directly to their work via their website. Every donation helps fund personalised grants that remove small but life-changing barriers for people moving on from homelessness. Whether it is £5, £50 or more, each contribution goes toward the practical steps that make lasting change possible.
Greater Change’s work reminds us that the opportunity to fund a key item or service can open a door that had been shut for too long. Behind every referral is a person with their own story, and each grant represents a step closer to stability, dignity and independence.
If you work with one of the partner charities in Coventry and support someone who might benefit, speak to your team about how to refer into the Greater Change budgets. If you are part of a local authority elsewhere in the West Midlands and are curious about developing a similar scheme, reach out to Greater Change to explore the options.
The partnership between Greater Change and Coventry City Council shows that something brilliant and life changing can happen when local effort and national learning come together.