Our aim is to offer support, care and respect to anyone who is homeless and disconnected from their usual social environment

...through poverty, a criminal record or an addiction to a substance, regardless of their religion, gender, ethnic origin, sexuality or disability.

Our service users are assisted to find accommodation and offered low cost hot meals and showers, as well as health and harm minimisation support.

They can attend a variety of activities such as photography, art, drama, pool tournaments, quizzes and outings.  These are designed to build confidence and self esteem and have proven successful in encouraging people to express themselves and think about other aspects of their lives.

Service users can also participate in City & Guilds training units that involve life skills such as budgeting, anger management, relationships, health and time management.  People are encouraged to think about their ongoing health and personal hygiene, through our nurse, hairdressing, "before and after" photographs and basic cookery tuition.

Our recently acquired Landrover enables us to take small groups out for day trips (we sometimes have the use of a minibus through a local volunteer for larger groups).  These trips are great for our service users to see something new, experience a good day out, build friendships and have a change from their daily lives.  The landrover is also in constant use for floating support visits to people in their accommodation, helping people to move in, GP and hospital visits and other necessary outings.

Moving on further involves opportunities for volunteering and paid employment at the project, together with ongoing emotional support and training.  This is a really important part of our work.  We find that people are glad to be given responsibility and a chance to use and build on their skills.  People enjoy being part of the team and their experience brings a valuable element to the group of staff.

'More Than a Place of Refuge' - Comment from a Project User

"The project is a place of refuge for a variety of people from different backgrounds who all have one thing in common, they find it difficult relating to modern society and to what is understood to be the norm of day to day life.  This can be for a number of reasons: mental health problems, alcohol abuse, drug abuse and any combination of the above...this is not helped by the perception within wider society that all 'vagabonds' are the same and should be treated as such.  So the project is a place of refuge, but it needs to be more than this and it is.  People are treated as individuals...this is the point:  In a society in which we are all viewed as an undesirable underclass, we are seen as people, and treated as such, which gives us a sense of belonging and a personal identity which is often missing in those of us who have not been able to function as well as others in what is often a cruel world." 

Anonymous