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INVOLVE

Supporting young people who need a home

Our new Social Enterprise Centre kicks off

A place to learn

Fashion forward Rania

New mental health services in Southsea

Mill House transformation

Inspirational stories from our clients

Plus

June 2013

WELCOME

Welcome to the latest edition of INVOLVE!At Two Saints the past few months have beentaken up with preparations for some importantnew services which went live on 1st April.

Louise Barnden

The Government’s welfare reform agenda is causing us some headaches, and will present all sorts of financial challenges for our clients. As their incomes are squeezed even further, many will struggle to make sense of the complex changes and may well find themselves with mounting debts. And some of these debts will hit Two Saints, as rents and service charges may go unpaid. We have been actively lobbying the Department for Work and Pensions and are having some success in getting changes made to protect vulnerable people’s incomes and accommodation. One of our two Regional Directors, Jon Cox, is the Chair of the National Advisory Council of Homeless Link, and I am a Trustee, so together we have been able to provide facts and figures to help make the case for changes in the new welfare benefits regime. We are also training our staff and planning new services which can help clients get the skills they need to manage online claims, bank accounts etc.

In spite of money worries and the difficulties of finding work, many of our clients make huge progress during the time we are supporting them as Emma and Robert’s stories show. (See pages 6 and 11).

I’d like to thank all those individuals and businesses who have supported us in recent months with fundraising and volunteering. We are very pleased to have a new Volunteer Co-ordinator, Steve Morgan, on the team at Two Saints – see page 8 for his outline of volunteering opportunities in our services.

We were delighted to win tenders in early 2013 to run Supported Lodgings services for young people across Hampshire and some specialist support services in Havant and East Hampshire for people who have been homeless but who also have mental health problems. On pages 4 and 5 you can read about the Supported Lodgings service and the experience of one young woman for whom this is providing a stepping stone away from homelessness towards college and a promising career in the fashion business.

Chief ExecutiveCover Image CreditPortsmouth News

Louise Barnden Chief Executive

To support Two Saints – either as a fundraiser, by making a donation or volunteering your time - please call us on 01329 234600 or visit our website www.twosaints.org.uk for more ideas of how you can get involved and make a difference.

Contents03 Our latest news

04/05 Supported Lodgings Service

06 Emma’s story

07 Two Saints’ Enterprise Centre

08 Volunteering opportunities

09 Southampton’s Day Centre

10 Mill House transformation

11 Robert’s journey

12 How you can help

Page 02 / Welcome / Contents Involve Two Saints

NEWS

Page 03 / News Involve Two Saints

Workshops with a bite!Our Day Centre in Southampton recently played host to a series of ‘tasty’ workshops for Big Issue vendors. The sessions (which were also open to Two Saints clients) aimed to build confidence, teach new skills and promote healthy eating.

Participants were encouraged to recognise their own strengths and let go of past experiences. They enjoyed practical cookery demonstrations on how to make healthy meals on a budget including vegetable curry and strawberry muffins.

The workshops, which were run by Training for Work in Communities, proved such a huge success with everyone involved that future courses are being planned.

Over 70 of our clients and staff from across the South of England enjoyed an opportunity to meet up earlier this year at a special event in Newbury.

The First BigGet Together!

Did you know that we have a large conference room to hire? Whether you need a room for training, meetings or fitness classes we offer very competitive prices, plus all our profits support homeless people across the South East of England.

Turn to page 7 for details.

Need a venue in Southampton?

Inspired?

NEWS

The Big Get Together (which will be held twice a year) enabled clients to meet one another, share their experiences of homelessness and quiz senior managers about the Two Saints service.

Trevor Jacobs, who was retiringas Chair of the Client Scrutiny & Involvement Team, encouraged more people to get involved with the team - a group led by clients who check that we are providing them with the very best service and suggest ways that we can improve.

A huge thank you to local hotel ‘The Vineyard’ at Stockcross for providing free refreshments, and to the staff who gave up their day off to prepare, cook and serve such delicious food.

If you are inspired by the stories you read inside this magazine please get involved with Two Saints and help us make a difference. Details on volunteering are on page 8 and fundraising ideas are on the back cover.

Page 04 / Supported Lodgings Service Involve Two Saints

Help tofind ahome– and a new life

After she faced difficulty finding accommodation when her family moved abroad, Two Saints came to the rescue, finding her a room with a family in Gosport. The service matches householders with a spare room to rent, with young people like Rania who need a safe and stable place to stay.

Sheila and Phil Caudery are the householders who opened their home to Rania, and as a result have helped to transform her life. With Sheila’s support and encouragement Rania has rebuilt her confidence, and is now following her dream of working in the fashion industry. She is looking forward to starting a fashion course at Fareham College later this year, and even staged a fashion show recently in aid of Two Saints.

Sheila and her husband have been involved in our Supported Lodgings Service for over four years and Rania is the sixth person they have housed. Sheila said: ‘I enjoy helping young people and I realise in Gosport there is a need for homes for young people.’

17 year old Rania Scott is one of the young people looking forward to a brighter future thanks to our Supported Lodgings Service.

‘I wanted to do a fashion show because it would be good for my college course and a way to say thanks to Two Saints for helping me find a place to stay. Things were tough but it was a lot better when I had their support.’

Photo used courtesy of The Portsmouth News(left to right) Host Sheila Caudrey, Nikki Hill Two Saints Supported Lodgings Coordinator, Rania Scott and Sheila’s nine year old daughter Hannah.

Rania Scott

SupportedLodgings Service

Our Supported Lodgings Service enables each young person to:

• choose their placement to ensure they stay close to friends, family, school, work or college

• live in accommodation that meets certain requirements in terms of safety, size, comfort and privacy

• benefit from practical support from their host to help develop independent living skills such as cooking, healthy eating and lifestyles, budgeting and housekeeping

• access support and advice from Two Saints ranging from health, education and move-on housing options.

If you are thinking of getting involved, we can offer a really rewarding experience for your whole family and a boost to your household income. Benefits include:

• rental income for your room

• additional payment for the support you can offer a young person

• ongoing support and advice from our team of specialists to help you encourage the young person to reach their full potential

• satisfaction of knowing you are making a real difference to a young person who needs help and support.

Page 05 / Supported Lodgings Service Involve Two Saints

What’s the deal for a young person?

What’s the deal for a prospective host?

www.twosaints.org.uk

Our service is meeting a real demand to help young people. Centrepoint estimates that 80,000 young people experience homelessness each year in the UK and over half of homelessness organisations surveyed by Homeless Link are turning young people away because they are full.

Our Supported Lodgings Services cover the local council areas of East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, the New Forest, Test Valley and Winchester.

For more information about how you can get involved please telephone Two Saints Head Office on 01329 234600 or visit our website

Fact box

“In my drunken state, I knew I had to do something about this and got in touch with Two Saints. Thankfully, they rang me back the next day and that was the start of my recovery and my journey back to normal life. I don’t want to forget my experiences as they now keep me grounded but I don’t want to remember them too much.

“My key worker was very fair and firm. One morning when I was relatively sober he told me that I couldn’t stay there forever and the way I was going I would end up killing myself. At the time I needed a drink just to get through the next

hour but I knew I wanted help. So I worked with him, and after a couple of months he got me into Bay Trees for a detox.

“After a 10-day detox I went straightto Kings Road a“clean and dryhouse” where Ihave lived for just over a year now.It’s been a toughold year, but I havehad a lot of helpand support andhave accesseda number of courses.”

“I’ve taken onboard advice, but not always taken it well. But fortunately for me I have a very good mum and dad. They have always been there in the background, although previously they almost gave up hope.

“I now work at Portsmouth Football Club on match days where I help with reception and greeting people and I’ve even set myself a few goals for 2013. I want to rebuild my relationship with my two grown up daughters, obtain some formal qualifications with Learn Direct, find a new home in the Fareham area and get a job.”

Emma’sStory

“Before I came into Two Saints, I was street homeless for around six months. I was a chronic alcoholic and realised that I could not do it any more, it was getting dangerous and I realised that winter was coming up. The guy I was with at the time was very poorly and my health was deteriorating too.”

Page 06 / Emma’s Story Involve Two Saints

A place to learnTwo Saints clients, including residents at neighbouring Patrick House get the chance to learn about the different industries at our Social Enterprise Centre, providing them with hands-on experience in picture framing and woodwork. It’s a great opportunity to learn new skills and develop self-confidence, to help on their

journey to increased independence and employment. Clients can also benefit from using our IT Suite to learn basic and advanced computer skills, attend creative and therapeutic art sessions, along with gaining literacy and numeracy skills through our outreach college programme.

Come along and visit us now at Two Saints Enterprises - 361, Millbrook Road West in Southampton any weekday between 9am and 4pm, or call 023 8078 8375.

Visit www.twosaintsenterprises.weebly.comLike Two Saints Enterprises on Facebook or tweet us @twosaintsenterprises

We offer a full range of picture framing services from standard to museum quality frames, mounts and glass. Our specialist team can frame anything from artwork to signed football shirts, military medals or textiles.

Our recently refurbished and fully equipped meeting room can hold up to 40 people. It’s a cost effective choice for anyone looking for a room to hire to run a training course, stage a conference, throw a birthday party or even put on a keep fit class. We provide a projector, IT facilities and internet access and can also organise catering.

We also house local independent builders Vision Building, Greenlight Southampton and Wooden Tiger who support disadvantaged people through carpentry and woodwork, producing items such as benches, shelves and planters to order.

Our Social Enterprise Centre in Southampton has been launched to help our clients and generate additional income to support our charity. However, members of the public and local businesses are invited to reap the benefits as well.

It’s home to a variety of services ranging from a bespoke picture framing shop and carpentry to room hire and conference facilities. All are available at very competitive prices with profits ploughed straight back into helping people affected by homelessness.

Page 07 / Social Enterprise Centre Involve Two Saints

Bespokepicture framingservice

Training andconferencefacilities

Woodwork and carpentry

Social Enterprise Centre

When a serious illness left Steve Morgan in a wheelchair several years ago, his whole life dramatically changed. However a volunteering job gave him the confidence to look

ahead to a brighter future, and both his health and his job prospects improved as a result.

Steve’s determination paid off, and not only is he walking again but he has

recently started full time employment with Two Saints in a role that involves encouraging others to volunteer!

Page 08 / Volunteering Involve Two Saints

If you have some spare time why not volunteer with Two Saints?

It’s a great way to make your CV stand out from the rest and meet new people, whilst giving something back to your local community. Volunteering is great for:

We always need volunteers to help support our clients and staff in a variety of ways. Whatever your age, skills or experiences we will have a volunteering opportunity that you could do, such as:

• students and job seekers looking for work experience

• people who have been made redundant and need a hand to get back to work • anyone who is looking for a complete career change

• retirees with time on their hands.

• IT trainer• Office administration• Mentoring• Literacy and numeracy trainer• Arts and crafts• Keep fit and well-being trainer• Gardening• Basic cooking skills trainer• Budgeting and household management• Simply having a friendly chat over a cup of tea

Contact Steve on 02380 788375 or 07809 342122 to find out how we could match you to a fun volunteering opportunity at one of the many Two Saints services across the South of England.

Interested?

Volunteering roles at Two Saints

“Volunteering really helped rebuild my confidence and made me realise that I could still make a worthwhile contribution to my community. I started volunteering at my local Arts Centre and also with Two Saints, which gave me a new purpose and the chance to develop my skills and meet new people. For me this was a cathartic process of rebuilding my life, and without those first steps into the world of volunteering I would not be where I am today.”

Volunteering changed my life!

Page 09 / Southampton’s Day Centre Involve Two Saints

Wives and partners of Southampton’s premiership footballers are lending a touch of glamour to our Day Centre at weekly manicure sessions for our female clients.

A touch of glamour at Southampton’s Day Centre

While their other halves have been battling it out on the pitch, the Saints’ wives and girlfriends are scoring points with their local community by volunteering to work with some of our most vulnerable female clients.

The weekly pampering sessions are proving a huge success in helping to boost self-assurance and confidence amongst

women who are trying to turn their lives around and conquer homelessness, substance misuse or prostitution.

The project has been organised by Two Saints’ Service Leader Michelle White, who says she is looking forward to developing a long relationship with the Saints Foundation.

“It’s all about helping our clients feel good about themselves and we are delighted that the ladies from Southampton Football Club are donating their time to come and work with us. The response from clients has been amazing. It was fantastic to see women who may otherwise be hard to engage with, sitting down, relaxing and chatting away. Everyone was simply glowing.” said Michelle.

Following on from the success of the manicure sessions there are plans to run jewellery making workshops and trips out with the football club later in the year.

“It’s all about helping clients feel good about themselves”.Michelle White Two Saints’ Service Leader

PhotoDawn Finch from The Saints Foundation treats a client to a manicure.

Many Two Saints’ clients have become homeless in the past because of other issues in their lives, including mental ill health. As well as offering good quality accommodation, professional support and resettlement services, we also provide specialist mental health services.

We’ve recently investeda whopping £65,000 toprovide eight residentialunits in Portsmouth for clients living withmental health issues. Our services were previously offered at

Yew House in the grounds of St. James’ Hospital. The new facility is called Yew House @ Mill House.

The works, which were carried out by Currie Design and Construction and Paintlyne Painting and Decorating contractors, involved a total transformation of part of the building including converting former offices to modern kitchens and lounges. Clients helped to choose the bright new colour scheme.

The new look ‘Yew House at Mill House’ is particularly light and airy thanks to the installation of innovative ‘sun-pipes’ which reflect natural light into the corridors below. The pipes are maintenance free and have no running costs.

Page 10 / Yew House at Mill House Involve Two Saints

“The residents at Yew House now enjoy large, bright and spacious areas to work on their recovery and road towards more independent living.”

Mill House transformation

We are very pleased to be working with two new partners in Havant and East Hampshire to support clients living in accommodation owned by Havant Housing Association and Affinity Sutton. Partnerships such as these are a great way for support providers and landlords to work together to provide a good quality home with individually tailored support and advice, helping clients find work and training as well as new homes in the community.

Ian Currie and Michael Dearing at work on the transformation.

Melanie Lodge, Team Leader

“Before I came to the Day Centre in Southampton my life was chaotic. I was consumed by drugs and had no opportunities. No one believed in me and I couldn’t even consider working.

“I started coming along to the Day Centre and got involved with Two Saints’ Travel Programme. It’s given me a focus and something to aim for, and has definitely opened doors for me. Things have really started to look up.

“I’ve learnt lots of new skills, discovered I have a passion and a talent for cooking, and now I really want to get a paid job as a chef. When I first started coming to the Day Centre my cooking skills were poor. I lived alone and bought microwave meals which were expensive and didn’t taste great. However, thanks to the support of Sandy Nelson, who is my mentor and chef at the Day Centre I have learnt the necessary skills to be able to cook safely, and prepare wholesome meals from scratch that I can be proud of. I now make cakes and bake bread, and I am learning

how to prepare a full meal, looking at ingredients, cooking timings and nutrition.

“I am now working to achieve food hygiene qualifications and will attend any training that comes my way in order to become a chef. Without the Two Saints Travel Programme, I would not be able to do this. I thank Sandy and Michelle White at the Day Centre for believing in me, and working with me over the last few months.

“I can’t believe how much I have achieved and where I am today.”

Cooking up astorm

“Two Saints has given me a career future and the confidence and motivation to make something of my life. Knowing that people believed in me has inspired me to recognise my own skills and believe in myself.”

Page 11 / Cooking up a storm Involve Two Saints

Robert Burns tells his story.

Staff at surveying company Rund Partnership raised over £1200 after participating in a company widesporting challenge. Together they took part in running, cycling, swimming and rowing activities to raise the money. Recently they presented the then Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Derek Burke a cheque for his mayoral charity campaign which has been raising funds for Two Saints over the past year.

After staff from financial firm Grant Thornton slept rough for a night to raise £500 for the homeless, bosses matched the proceeds. They presented a cheque for £1000 to clients and staff at our Southampton Day Centre recently.

Encouraging your staff to come together in a fundraising effort can help your organisation to:

www.twosaints.org.uk

Page 12 / Can you help us? Involve Two Saints

To support Two Saints – either as a fundraiser, by making a donation or volunteering your time, please call us on 01329 234600 or visit our website www.twosaints.org.uk for more ideas of how you can get involved and make a difference.

There are lots of ways that you can get involved and help Two Saints make a difference.

Help us raise more funds to support more people affected by homelessness.

“I would like to thank Rund and Grant Thornton for their fundraising efforts which will directly benefit our clients who are in need of small sums to help them in their search for training and jobs, or in finding and settling in to a new home.”Louise Barnden Two Saints’ Chief Executive

For more details, and lots of great fundraising ideas, please contact us today.

· attract, retain and maintain a happy workforce · win new business· stand out from competitors· improve your reputation and generate positive publicity.

Inspired by the stories inside this magazine?

Corporatefundraisingcan paydividends

Grant Thornton

Rund Partnership