Aside from a few slight navigational miscalculations and some eye-raising DJ’ing we arrived at Longtown, the county council-runoutdoor Education Centre in Herefordshire.

With NO signal of any kind, it offered much the opportunity to simplyslip away from personal stress and demons and enjoy some “quiet” timein the countryside.

Through various team-building exercises, caving, rock-climbing,gorge-walking and general tom-foolery both the clients and staff were ableto break down the social boundaries, place trust in each other and to gaina deeper understanding of each other something often lost during thehustle and bustle of our town.

Thanks to some truly committed and very patient instructors manywere able to overcome amazing feats, both physically and moreimportantly mentally.

We would all like to say a huge thank you to the NorthamptonshireCommunity Foundation for funding the entire trip through their LetYourself Grow Fund.

A couple of weeks after our adventure, centre staff from LongtownOutdoor Education Centre took on the challenge of canoeing 150 milesfrom Northampton to Wales to raise funds for the Northampton HopeCentre. Hope Centre clients Rhys, Steffen and Barry, took part in the firstleg of the journey and had a fantastic time!

An amazing achievement – well done and thank you to the wonderfulteam at Longtown Outdoor Education Centre!

www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

10 people, one van,

months of eager anticipation

coming to a head …Longtown,

here we come!

by Rhys Butler

overcome amazing feats, both physicallyand more importantly mentally

donate

Great news!! On April 24th at St Giles Church we have a return visit of the Cowbridge Male Voice Choir. As many of you will know, we had a brilliant night two years ago and raised just over £1000 for the

Hope Centre. They sing a variety of music; songs from the shows, arias from operas, folk songs and a fewWelsh items to provide a little nostalgia for some expats! The unofficial concert in the pub afterwards isalso great fun.

The choir themselves perform for free and pay for their own accommodation. However we need tocover the cost of their return transport from Wales to Northampton so that we can maximise our incomefrom the event, therefore we need a couple of sponsors to cover this cost.Tickets cost £10 and are available from The Manna House, St Giles Music or the Hope Centre.Book now to avoid disappointment!

If you are interested, please contact Debbie on 01604 602456

This Christmas saw the launch of our new ‘Hope for Christmas’schools mufti day. Many schools in the County are extremelysupportive of our work at Harvest time when they donate largeamounts of food items from their harvest celebrations. This year wedecided to do something different so that they could get involved atChristmas time.

We wrote to over 300 schools with 100,000 students acrossNorthamptonshire inviting them to take part in this new initiative andoffering them the opportunity for us to visit the school and talk abouthomelessness and poverty in their local area.

We were really pleased that 10 schools decided to participate in themufti day and raised over £2,000 towards our Christmas Appeal. All of thestudents who attended an assembly really enjoyed finding out more aboutour work and each school received a certificate to display thanking themfor their contribution.

I would like to say a huge thank you to the staff, students and parents of the following schools for supporting us:

The Good Shepherd Primary School, NorthamptonSt Mary’s Primary School, DaventryGayton Church of England Primary, GaytonGreat Creaton Primary School, CreatonVictoria Primary School, WellingboroughEcton Village Primary School, EctonFreemans Church of England Junior School, WellingboroughBellinge Primary School, NorthamptonBrooke Weston Acadamy, CorbySt Mary’s Primary School, NorthamptonWe hope for even more schools to join in next Christmas!

This year’s sleepout on February 5th was another huge success,sponsor money is still flooding in. However we have raised at least£8,000 which is a fantastic amount! We would like to say a hugethank you to the 47 ‘sleepers’ who came along and braved the coldto support us.

Feedback from everyone who attended the night has been reallypositive with a variety of comments including:

“we experienced something we’ll always remember”“It was a humbling and thought provoking experience that I willnever forget”

“I found it surreal and rewarding and would do it again”We would also like to thank the many Hope Centre volunteers and clientswho stayed throughout the night providing delicious snacks, warm drinksand hearty conversations. It couldn’t have been done without you,“THANKYOU!”

As we walked back to our cars just after 6am on the Saturdaymorning and scraped the ice from the windows, we felt cold and veryweary, relieved we only had to it for one night and proud that we hadshared an amazing experience and raised lots of money for a greatcause.

Schools help give Hope for Christmas by Debbie Galton

by Debbie Galton

You can now donate money to us or set up a sponsorship page for an event using the Justgiving website:

www.justgiving.com/northamptonhopecentre

Cowbridge Male Voice Choir

we put the funin fundraising!

by Lorna Robjohns

sleepout2010

activitiesactivitiesat the hope centre

spring 2010

There’s MAN in MANICURE!There’s nothing better than just taking some time out to simply bepampered and made to feel special!

And with Sharon the Beautician, Penny the Chiropodist and Elaine whodoes Head Massage, the Hope Centre could not be in better hands!

Through their different fields these wonderful ladies help immensely toraise the self-esteem and confidence of the clients here, whilst also givingthe little boy in me the chance to rub mud all over my face and not get intotrouble!!!

Many can get wrapped up in the big picture schemes involved withhomelessness, but sometimes just being able to offer your handshakewith dignity and pride can be such an influential and profound factor in aclient’s life.

Many thanks to the Yorkshire Building Society CharitableFoundation for funding equipment for the chiropody service

two charities...the same common groundTools For self Reliance helps impoverished nations in Africa, to developtools and skills for independent enterprises, and this February the HopeCentre was privileged to have the opportunity to help them in that worth-while cause with the first ever Tools For Self Reliance Workshop hostedat the Hope Centre.

Last Christmas was a special time at the Hope Centre. On Christmas Day we opened thedoors to over 70 clients and each person enjoyed a hearty dinner cooked by our fantasticChristmas Day kitchen team. There were presents for everyone, and plenty of volunteers tosit and chat with, and share the day together. Thank you to all those who supported us overthe Christmas period, whether it was financially, with your time or by donating mince pies andfestive nibbles!

Christmas at the Hope Centre

www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

by Rhys Butler

by Rhys Butler.

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 (MP). 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

Rhys, how long have you been at the Hope Centre and what broughtyou to us?

I think I started using the Hope Centre early June/July of last year andunder much the same circumstances as many of the other clients here,just going to show that it isn’t always through Drugs and Alcohol that onebecomes homeless, however my vice of sorts would have been mydifficulties with residency issues delaying my receipt of Job SeekersAllowance and the support that comes with it.What do you think of the Hope Centre and the service it provides?

The Hope Centre baffles me at times, I often wonder how so muchgood could be contained in such a small work environment, be it theworkshops (Art being a personal favourite), the networking with otheragencies, the cheap ... sorry INEXPENSIVE and nutritious meals, the dailycarry-outs, the one – to –one support, you name it. It’s here delivered bysome of the most charismatic, charming, helpful and memorable people

in Northampton.What is your best memory or funniest momentof your time at the Hope centre?

My Best memory is more of afeeling to be honest, it’s walkingthrough the doors each day andknowing that there’s going to besomething new, fun, enrichingand beneficial offered toeveryone who walks in. Thefunniest moment woulddefinitely be while helping withthe Christmas decorations, Stigemerges in full Santa gear readyto hit the town with Big Issues!

theinterviewYou may have noticed that most of this newsletter has been written by Rhys Butler. So we thought we’d let Rhys tell you a bit about himself...

Some of Northampton's firms have been very helpful over the years. If youwould like to help, perhaps by offering funding or advertising here or on our website

call Debbie on

01604 602456

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot ofothers, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple ofhope... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energyand daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down themightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968),also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, aDemocratic Senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist.

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by Robert F. Kennedy “

”

Under a Job Centre scheme to get 18 – 25 year olds into work we have been funded to employ aTrainee Office Assistant for 6 months. Congratulations to Rhys who was the successful applicant!