www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

Be part of our team...If it wasn’t for the willing team of volunteers, we would cease to function.

If you are interested in getting involved,

call Sarah on

01604 602456

Our patrons: Sally Keeble. The Right Reverend Peter Doyle Bishop of Northampton

Northampton Hope CenrePO Box 472,Northampton NN1 3ZY

contact us on 01604 602456email: office@northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

the frontier centre...

Discover one mans journey of homelessness insidesee the amazing journey - page 2

If your company, sports club or organisation would like to know moreabout sponsorship opportunities on our website or publicity materialsplease get in touch.

call Debbie on

01604 602456

The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.

German born American Physicist who developed the special and generaltheories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955

Sponsorship opportunities

quarterlyquote...

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contact us www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

by Albert Einstein“

” We were given the opportunity through ‘Bridge Programme’ to take agroup of service users to the frontier centre for an afternoon of outdooractivities. So far we participated in team games where they had to use theirinitiative and team work to complete a series of challenges and games.The group really enjoyed it and it was a chance to get away from the

constraints of their normal lives. Another group of service users wentcanoeing for the afternoon and despite the cold weather had a great time.We will shortly being having a third afternoon; this time we will be climbing.Thank you to Bridge Programme, The Frontier Centre, the peoplewho volunteered with transport and those who took part.

What is your job role?

I am short term peer support worker in mental health, peer support workershave suffered mental health problems and recovered.

What have you been doing at the hope Centre?

In my time at the Hope centre I have been trying to get to know everyoneand help out in anyway possible, but mainly with Helen and Phil’s help, I amtrying to offer support to service users through a well being drop in, aservice I wish had been available at certain times in my life.

What do you hope to do in the future?

Hopes for the future are to dedicate more time to the Hope centre and getto know more people using the centre.

Random facts

1, I was a builder for nearly 20 years

2, I have been homeless several times in my life, the first time when I was 16years old and lived in an unused council garage for some months.

The Northampton Hope Centre participated in an event organisedby UK online Centres to encourage people to use computers and theinternet. Although we have a computer room with free internet accessthere are still many services users who have limited computerknowledge. Technology is a big part of modern society so by providingthe means for people to ‘get online’ we are opening up avenues fordevelopment. We had over 20 people sign up. These clients now havefull use of the ‘myguide’ courses online. Our helpful volunteers Lloyd andCatherine supported the sign ups and have also provided follow upguidance. People who took part have since used their new foundcomputer skills for various activities from employment searches toreuniting with family. Lloyd is continuing his support to ‘myguide’ usersand signing up new people during computer sessions held every Tuesday.

Help others this christmasaid our christmas appeal follow the link on page 2

Interview with Mark Greenhalgh

Get Online day....

theinterviewinvolved

at the hope centre

get

activitiesactivities

donate

at the hope centre

sleep outs

winter2010

We are very pleased to announce that we have received a lottery grant of over £167,630 to fund a 3 year VolunteerImprovement Programme. This project will enable us to provide voluntary work and training to severely disadvantagedclients within the supportive environment of the centre and will help us to continue our work towards bre\aking the cycle ofunemployment and homelessness.

‘I found it surreal and rewarding and would do it again’ (quote from one of this year’s sponsored sleepers)It’s nearly that time of year again (no not Christmas!) Sleepout time! This year’s event raised over £8,000 for our work and has firmly place the

Sleepout as our major fundraising event of the year.We would love for you to join us for the next Sleepout on Friday 28th January. You will be in great company, with approximately 50 other ‘sleepers’,

numerous volunteers serving hot drinks and several clients regaling their stories of life on the streets. So if you would like to join us to experience sleeping rough just for one night, to raise awareness of homelessness in Northampton and to raise much

needed funds for our work then please get in touch with Debbie.Friday 29th January. 6am – 6pm. St Giles Churchyard, St Giles Street, Northampton.

If you would like to sponsor someone to do the sleepout please go to: www.justgiving.com/hopecentresleepout2011

Life before homelessnessRob has been using the Hope Centre for almost a year now. A year

ago Rob was living with his girlfriend of 12 years, in a house in Bedford.Although Rob had experiences of drugs in his past he had been drug freefor 12years and worked as a roofer. Rob said “I had a happy relationshipbut felt I had fallen out of love.” Although he found it hard as they driftedapart Rob felt he no choice but to leave. He packed a bag and got on abus to Northampton where he had a sister. Not only did he leave hispartner and home he also had to leave behind his beloved dog.

A place for shelterRob’s sister could not accommodate Rob, having only a one bed flat

occupied by her and her partner. Rob had no other friends, family orsupport networks in Northampton. His sister knew of the Hope Centre andpointed him in our direction. Rob slept on his sister’s floor for two weekswhilst he was waiting for a place to become available at NASHH, thedirect access homeless accommodation. He had to contact them eachday to ask for a place. Rob said “I was so happy when I got the call to saythat they had a bed space.”

Having very little belongings and no money Rob relied on low-costfood from the Hope Centre and our clothes store to get by. Rob said hewas very grateful for the support he received. He said his favourite thingabout the centre is the people. The staff, volunteers and service users allmake it a place of acceptance. Rob said “they are friendly and make mefeel comfortable without need for fear or paranoia”.

When Rob first moved into NASHH he had to stay in a dormitory with 8people. As Rob explained “8 men equals 16 armpits and 16 feet. In thedormitory you get a bed, a locker and a curtain to pull across for privacy.”Fortunately when the new building is complete the old dormitory styleaccommodation will be replaced.

Rob began dabbling in drugs again. He found it difficult to avoid ashis lifestyle and the people around him encouraged that behaviour. Robfelt lost. As Rob said “you don’t realise what you have until it has gone.”

Road to homeAfter 16 weeks at NASHH, staying in the dormitory, Rob got a room of

his own. Although he still had communal living and dining. Rob started tothink about his future and participate in group workshops at the HopeCentre. He completed a cookery workshop course which he reallyenjoyed. Rob said “the food here is always fantastic”. Rob enjoyssocialising both through activities here and at NASHH. Having had tostart afresh in this town he has been able to build new social networks andmake new friends through meeting new people at the Hope Centre.

It has been a very hard journey for Rob, which he feels would have

been even harder without the services provided by the Hope Centre andby NASHH. After about 4-5 months Rob was moved into the ILU(Independent Living Unit). Here he had use of a kitchen so was able toprepare his own meals. He brought carry outs from the Hope Centre thatconsist of a couple of tins, a loaf of bread, pasta, tea bags, biscuits andsometimes other food produce. These really helped Rob to survive andbudget for when he got a place of his own. It was around this time thatRob also decided to attend a cookery workshop here at the centre. Heattended a 5 week long course, learning how to cook a variety of dishesand taking the completed meal home each week. The course came atjust the right time as it gave Rob more confidence to attempt to cook forhimself in his new home.

Home sweet home – a place of my own.After almost a year of being in temporary homeless accommodation

Rob was finally offered a council flat of his own. He moved into theproperty two weeks ago and was really thankful for the help from NASHHto source furniture and assist with the move. Rob is in the process ofdecorating; having stripped all the walls, washed and prepped everythingand got hold of paint and painting equipment he is ready to paint andhopes to start straight away.

It is not all plain sailing, as Rob has found. He has found it a shock. Itcan be daunting living on your own. Rob has experienced feelings ofisolation and loneliness, especially after living in communalaccommodation. However he knows the Hope centre is here if he needsit and still continues to visit for social purposes and for food carry-outs.

Christmas timeRob came to the centre for Christmas dinner last year and plans to

come again this year. He found that the atmosphere was reallywelcoming with tinsel decor and really tasty food. Rob relies on thecommunity aspects that the hope Centre offers at Christmas and thethought of being alone on Christmas day saddens him.

Hope for the futureRob is now being reunited with his dog and is registering her with our

Community Dog Care service, this visit every 6-8 weeks. “My immediatehopes are to sort out my flat and make it homely for me and the dog.More than anything I just want to be happy… and maybe someday findlove.”

Rob wanted to make sure that we thanked everyone who hassupported his journey at the Hope Centre and at NASHH. He wasinterviewed by Helen Harris and was happy for her to write hisstory to encourage people to support our work.

We had another bumper harvest this year, thanks to your generosityand the many donations from local churches, schools and groups. Therewas a slow start, when some confusing phone calls led us to believe thatpeople thought we were no longer accepting harvest donations! This ledto us quickly asking the Chronicle & Echo to run an appeal on our behalf,letting everyone know it was business as usual and we were most certainlyneeding donations.

Things quickly picked up and soon our store cupboard was overflowingwith donations from the local community. These items will keep the centrerunning for an entire year, meaning that we only need to buy fresh produce,meat and fish in order to provide our daily nutritious meals. We have been

amazed, yet again, at how much people are willing to give to those in need,particularly in these difficult times.

2010 Harvest in numbers:• 51 churches and 33 schools chose to donate their harvest goods to

the Hope Centre• 924 tins of baked beans donated • 50 tins of baked beans used every week• our staff and volunteers gave 21 talks in the local community about

harvest and the Hope Centre• 15 – number of days it took 2 volunteers to sort our harvest donations

this year

www.northamptonhopecentre.org.ukYou can now donate money to us or set up a sponsorship page for an event using the Justgiving website:

www.justgiving.com/northamptonhopechristmas2010

volunteer improvement programme

If you can’t make it to our Sleepout then why not organise your own?

Harvest Update & Thank youBy Lorna Robjohns, Trustee.

Two 14 year old girls, MeganKnowelden and Isabel Bernet were in thecongregation in Weston during a serviceabout the work of the Hope Centre.

The parish hold a ‘Sock Sunday’ everyyear and this year they presented 374 pairs!Megan and Isabel, on hearing about ourwork, decided they wanted to raise somemoney and decided to have a sleep out inthe chapel grounds. They raised £220 from

friends and family and recently came alongto present their cheque and meet a fewclients.

We would like to say a huge thank youto Megan and Isabel, they are two youngpeople who are actively working in theircommunity to improve the lives of thoseless fortunate. Well done and thank youfrom us all.

This Christmas we wanted to give you the chance to hear first hand from one of our clientsand how he has turned his life around this year. Rob’s journey is so representative of thepeople we see every day at the Hope Centre. So often a relationship breakdown like Rob’scauses someone to move out of their home and eventually find themselves homeless.

As Rob’s story shows, homelessness can happen to anyone. It does not discriminate. To ensure we are here this Christmas and throughoutthe year to help people like Rob put their lives back together, please consider making a donation or setting up a regular donation...

the amazingjourney... by Rob Sheriff