As part of our drive to support local charities, this week we are highlighting the vital support provided by St Martins Housing Trust for homeless people across Norwich and the county.
Impact of the cost of living crisis
The rising cost of living is having a serious impact on homelessness organisations across the country. Norwich-based homelessness charity St Martins is reporting that rising costs mean more and more people are in need of their support. Alongside rising food and energy prices, private rents have soared over the past year and is a leading cause of homelessness.
Chief Executive Dr Jan Sheldon said, “The cost of living crisis will undoubtedly see a rise in the number of people sleeping rough; numbers are slowly creeping up but what we’re seeing now is, I fear, just the tip of the iceberg. At St Martins we stand ready to do our very best to ensure no one needs to sleep rough on the streets of Norwich.”
This winter St Martins will once again be operating a ‘street break’ initiative where people are accommodated in hotels and B&Bs when the hostels are full. The initiative is funded by charitable donations and gives people a comfortable and safe place to stay away from the street alongside specialist support. Jan said, “Rough sleeping is dangerous and unpredictable at any time but as temperatures plummet, there is a significant risk of hypothermia. This initiative saves lives. It means we can offer people a safe and comfortable place to go where they can enjoy the things that most of us take for granted on a daily basis.”
The cost of living crisis combined with the longstanding chronic shortage of housing makes for a bleak prospect for thousands of people struggling to make ends meet. Rising costs have an impact on the charitable sector and bring with it significant challenges. Charity bosses lament the fact that it is always the people who have the least that suffer the most. Jan said, “We’re not all in the same boat. We’re all in the same storm but some people only have a leaky dingy while others have a luxury river cruiser.” St Martins relies on the generosity of local supporters to continue to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
About the charity
In 1972, a group of volunteers began to help people sleeping rough on the streets of Norwich by accommodating them in a redundant church building. St Martins was formed. Fifty years later homelessness provision has come a long way, moving beyond simply offering a meal and a roof for the night, to understanding people’s strengths and goals and working with them to reintegrate into local communities.
St Martins is a well-established charity working in Norwich and Norfolk providing ‘more than a home for the homeless’ with a focus on prevention, crisis and sustained support.
The charity’s prevention work includes supporting people in their own homes and providing them with person centred support to help them to live independently and maintain their tenancies.
The crisis work includes street outreach, an emergency assessment and accommodation hub and a direct access hostel. St Martins is the lead partner for the Pathways outreach service which has a ‘no wrong door’ approach, meaning people can access support in a personal and consistent way.
St Martins runs a ‘move-on’ hostel, sheltered housing scheme for the over 50’s, a Care Quality Commission registered residential home, rated outstanding, and a number of community-based projects. An additional hostel is due to open this winter, offering a further 23 beds for people who are heading towards living independently.
In addition to the charity’s accommodation projects, a learning and development centre offers a wide variety of programmes. A charity shop in Anglia Square is run by people supported by St Martins and distributes items donated by the public to people in need.
At any one time St Martins supports 300 people and offers 234 beds every night of the year.
St Martins focuses on individual support and a person-centred approach. They value the tenacity, determination and dedication of their 200 team members. This year St Martins won a national award for their project working with prison leavers. The organisation was rated fourth best UK charity to work for in the Best Companies list.
Interested in volunteering?
St Martins is holding an information evening on Thursday 3rd November in the Auditorium at The Forum between 4 and 6pm for anyone interested in volunteering of the charity and finding out about their work. Chief Executive Dr Jan Sheldon will be giving a presentation followed by questions. Anyone is welcome to drop in during the evening.
Every year St Martins holds a fundraising street collection in December in Norwich City Centre. The collection runs daily from 1st December through to Christmas eve and more volunteer collectors are always welcome. The money raised will go towards the provision of more accommodation and support. If you have an hour to spare, please call 01603 667706 or email fundraising@stmartinshousing.org.uk
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