Since the van was stolen its been a real logistical struggle for our team. We have a few renovation projects happening at the moment across North and East Leeds, covering a large area. Having limited transport means time wasted for the team having to wait about to be picked up and dropped off at sites. When they need to go get materials from the builders merchants or take tools to other sites this is slowed down and has a direct impact on our timeframes and costs. Bottom line for us is the slower our renovations are the more it costs.

As a small charity struggling with rising costs and increased demand on our services this couldn't come at a worse time.

Our insurers are paying out half of what we need to replace the van, so we are fundraising for the remaining £3000.

It's estimated that around 4,500 privately owned homes in Leeds are sitting empty, many on a long-term basis, yet there are more than 5,000 people in the city with what's known as 'Band A' housing status - the highest level of housing need. LATCH is addressing this need by converting empty homes into housing for people who are homeless.