AN historic farmhouse has been renovated to help provide a home for vulnerable young adults in Dorset.
The first 24/7 supported living scheme for 18-25-year-olds who are at risk of becoming homeless has officially opened in rural Dorset.
West Farm is a six-bed temporary accommodation site which will provide a stable and safe environment for young adults to learn how to manage a home and new skills, which will benefit them long-term.
The total cost of the renovation to Dorset Council came in at £391,607, with £95,000 provided through a Homes England grant.
Two flats near to West Farm have been purchased by the Council as part of this initiative, to enable tenants to continue to access support from new provider, Salvation Army Homes, in their move-on accommodation.
Dorset Council Portfolio holder for housing and health, Cllr Gill Taylor, said: "Eight young people are being given the opportunity to rewrite their future because of this scheme coming to fruition.
"This project has come alive due to financial investment, plus of course the passion and vision from our housing service to deliver more new accommodation to prevent homelessness.
"We are very much looking forward to working with Salvation Army Homes, who have lots of great ideas on utilising the beautiful setting to its maximum potential and engaging with our young people. We welcome them to the south coast."
Guests explored the property during the open day and helped mark the occasion by adding messages to a time capsule. Residents will reopen it in future years as a reminder of how the service began.
West Farm was built on land owned by Dr John Caius, the second founder of Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge University. He bought the land in 1570 from the Earl of Dorset.
Dorset Council purchased the property from the university and have since renovated it to provide the homes.;
The site has under an acre of land and several outbuildings - providing a unique and calm setting for tenants to learn vital life skills and gain self-confidence.
Renovation work started in March last year and the building has undergone a significant transformation, with the addition of solar panels on the new roof and freshly decorated bedrooms and shared communal areas.
West Farm is a financial collaboration between Dorset Council, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Homes England.
Homes England's Shahi Islam, director for affordable housing grants, said: "The completion of this supported living scheme is a fantastic achievement, and it will make a real difference to people's lives. West Farm is a prime example of how we are working collaboratively with partners to achieve our mission to build much-needed homes that people can be proud of."
Local bats have also been allocated space to roost, following a bat survey which identified three species roosted in the vicinity; none of which were nesting on council grounds.
Retail giant, Ikea, has also donated £1,000 of kitchen equipment and supported the council's Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) team with designs and costing out the renovation, following a successful bid to their community fund application.
Ikea were asked to use a nationally recognised trauma-informed colour palette when designing rooms for the new tenants, which aims to keep residents calm and relaxed.
West Farm is the final SHAP temporary accommodation scheme to go live this year, following the success of the Bus Shelter Phase 2 and Haven.