History of Real World Trust

The idea of The Real World Trust came about in 1988 when Paddy Noctor, Eve White and Tim Day discussed the possibilities of a half way house for people leaving Whitecroft.

A meeting was finally arranged between Health, Probation and Social Services. A successful application for funding was made to TVS Charitable Trust for the sum of £2,000; this enabled the Trust to be formed. The Trust was incorporated on the the 1st November 1990 and granted charitable status later in the same year.

The Trust then went on to open a four bedded care home in Newport in 1992; the opening of the Hostel superseded this.

In 1996 the Trust opened a "Drop-In" in Ryde, but was still following it's main aim; this was to provide a Hostel. This became a reality in 1994 when South Wight Housing were successful in acquiring funding for the Housing Corporation for a nine bedded Hostel. Building began in 1998 with it being open in November 1999.

Further growth of the Trust came in January 2001 with the development of the Positive Engagement Team (PET) a community based project offering general counselling and support. This was initially a project to support residents who were leaving the Hostel, but advantage was taken of changes in Government funding that enabled us to accept other referrals to the point at the first April 2003 PET supported some 50 vulnerable clients in their own homes.