We’ve been busy this spooky season! Here’s some of the good news which put big smiles on Two Saints faces this October.
Our Southampton Day Centre service received a very generous harvest donation of around six crates containing much needed items such as coffee, tinned goods, and dried foods from St Andrews Church in Hamble.
The Day Centre relies on donations to feed more than 30 homeless people every day, so any support they receive is both greatly needed and appreciated.
The service’s team leader, Tiff, said: “All staff and clients at the Day Centre are hugely appreciative of the kind and thoughtful donation from everyone at St Andrews Church!
“Each donation makes a massive difference, and it was lovely to receive one so large and with so many tasty items. Thank you sincerely from us all!”
Here’s the Centre’s pantry looking very full.
Our wonderful Southampton Young People Services team welcomed Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, to our Defender Road site.
Team leader Donna and support worker Gina gave Darren a tour of the service and spoke about the incredible work that their team does to support their clients into a brighter future.
Having the support of an MP can make a world of difference to our services and the support they are able to provide.
Pictured here is our client Angel, who took the time to speak to Darren about her experiences at the service.
Our brilliant May Place service leader Terri accepted an award on behalf of all Two Saints services for supporting those who were homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with our chief executive Janice, Terri attended an event celebrating 10 years of the Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) tackling homelessness.
To mark this milestone, members of the partnership gathered at Carnival Hall in Basingstoke on World Homeless Day, Friday, 10 October.
Terri said: “It was an interesting event, reflecting on challenges and successes over the past 10 years within the Basingstoke area, which also incorporated a memorial for those clients who have sadly passed away over the years.
“There were opportunities for networking, reflection, and discussion for the upcoming challenges around funding and government/local authority changes due to the upcoming devolution.
“One thing I was appreciative of was that it was clear from the off that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and all those involved in the event planning wanted client involvement.
“We were lucky to have a number of clients tell their story, and share their experiences of their journey through the homeless pathway – some of these were incredibly emotional to hear.
“We also had a client, one of our own RSAP (Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme) clients, who attended the event, and a number of professionals were interested in what he had to say and his experiences of the day. I think it went to show how lived experience is helping to shape how services, and support agency partnerships, are changing their approach.”
Staff at our Central Services in Fareham participated in an autumnal crafting session as part of their Coffee and Catch-up initiative.
There was an amazing turnout, with staff making all sorts of amazing creations, from pipe cleaner pumpkins, to painted conkers, and even colourful ghosts!
It was a great opportunity to get away from the computer screen, and to take a well-deserved break from the stress of daily life.
