A HOMELESSNESS charity, which has seen its workload rocket by 2,500 per cent since its foundation, has received a special award.

GISDA, based in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Caernarfon and Porthmadog, were presented with the Welsh Language Champions trophy by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones at his annual Community Awards presentation.

The social enterprise organisation, which provides support and opportunities for vulnerable people aged between 14 and 25 in Gwynedd, was nominated for the award by the commissioner’s deputy, Ann Griffith, for their work in Welsh – and English – in steering youngsters away from a life of crime.

GISDA – Grwp Ieuenctid Sengl Digartref Arfon (Young, Single, Homeless Group of Arfon) - dates back 40 years to when it was first formed in Caernarfon.

GISDA head of services Gethin Evans said: “We were founded in 1989 to help deal with a homelessness emergency of 12 people – almost 40 years on we deal with almost 300 people a year.

“But we don’t just deal with homelessness issues and to get this kind of recognition is amazing and especially as over 60 per cent of our service users are Welsh speakers so it is vital that we can support them in the language they feel most comfortable in.

“People are referred to us by social services but they don’t have to come, it’s voluntary, so it is a positive that they do.

“We do a lot of work with young people, not just on homelessness, but also on drug and alcohol misuse and on encouraging people to get into training and being equipped for the world of work because that makes it less likely they will become involved in crime.”

See this week’s north editions for the full story, in shops and online now