Two Saints will be taking part in a commemoration service in memory of those who have been homeless and died since November 2023.
More than 35 rough sleepers have sadly passed away in the last year.
We would love for members of the community, especially Two Saints clients, to join us in remembering those we have lost.
The commemoration service will take place at 11am on Friday, 8 November, at Saint Mary’s Church, St Mary’s Street, Southampton. There is no dress code.
You can join our Facebook event page at: fb.me/e/2smwRJMG2
There will be songs, as well as readings and poems, and many community leaders are invited to speak. Different homelessness organisations, including Two Saints and RSI Mental Health team, give presentations on ex-clients who have passed in a very positive and meaningful light so that the individual is remembered as a person, and not just as someone who experienced homelessness. The commemoration service is not religious, although it will be delivered by a minister.
The service is a joint effort between Pam Campbell (Right By You service), Paul Woodman (The Lighthouse Church), the local diocese, RSI Mental Health Service, and the Day Centre – all of whom are involved in the planning and delivering of the service.
Our first commemoration service was held in 2023, following the lifting of Covid restrictions, as staff and clients had not had the opportunity to say goodbye to those who sadly passed away. Last year, we remembered 63 people who had passed away since 2020.
Stacey, service leader at the Day Centre, said that the event is part of her service’s commitment to making a special effort to remembering clients when one of them passes away.
She said: “When a client passes away, another client will usually say a few words, and we release balloons or plant a fruit tree after lunch.
“We also hold an End Of Life Day annually. We talk about lifestyle and risks and identify the reasons why our client group have a lower life expectancy.
“We support clients to complete End of Life plans and save these on Harmonia so their wishes can be met.
“We release balloons with messages to loved ones at the end of the day.
“Last year, we coloured pictures of mosaic elephants to address the ”elephant in the room” (death in our services).
“On previous years we have made a positivi-tree and clients have written positive messages on paper leaves.
“The artwork is then displayed to keep the thoughts at the front of our minds throughout the year.
“We encourage things like cooking and sorting of donations and laundry tasks, to give clients purpose to their day and are reminded that despite the risks on the streets, they add value to each other and to our staff team, so taking care of themselves is important.
“We always have end of life plans printed and at the ready should an opportunity arise. Likewise, the kettle is always on!”
