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From Hospital to Royal Visit: How Linden House Changed My Life and Freed Me from Alcohol
Richard John Kerr I came as a resident to Linden House on 21 November 2022, to recover from my alcohol addiction because I wanted to change my life and become sober and gain sobriety as my heavy drinking had caused me many problems including hospitalisation for lengthy periods of time, so I made a decision…
Read MoreWe Are Expanding Our Partnership with The Big Difference
The increasing cost of living is having a huge impact on everyone but most painfully on those from deprived communities. Many of those individuals suffering economic inequality are residing in SSJ properties or are accessing one or more of the other services that we offer here at The Society of St James. In response, we launched…
Read MoreSpoken Poetry by Poet in Recovery
Old Portsmouth Outing The Railway Poem The Christmas Poem
Read MoreHow to End Rough Sleeping for Good: A Response to the Kerslake Commission Report
As the Chief Executive of The Society of St James, a homelessness charity based in Hampshire, I welcome the latest report by the Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, which provides a comprehensive and urgent analysis of the current situation and the actions needed to end rough sleeping for good. The report, Turning the…
Read MoreHow Exercise Changed Pete’s Life
For over half my life I was an alcoholic, taking prescription and illegal drugs on a regular basis. I have lost too many friends to alcohol and drugs. Thankfully I have never been homeless, and I can’t fully imagine how tough this could be. Discovering yoga has turned my life around, it gave me a…
Read MoreSSJ: A Charity That Believes That Everyone Deserves to Live Without Fear of Violence or Abuse?
SSJ is more than just a charity that provides housing and support services to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. SSJ is also a champion for people who are suffering from domestic abuse, which is a major cause and consequence of homelessness. Domestic abuse is not just physical violence, but any form…
Read MoreWorking for SSJ – George’s Interview
In this interview we introduce you to George, who started his career with a Society of St James accounts apprenticeship in 2019 before leaving to pursue a role as a trainee accountant in September 2023. We discuss George’s experience as an apprentice, his personal growth, and the invaluable insights he acquired during his time at…
Read MoreFishing for Hope: How a Simple Activity Transformed a Man’s Behaviour and Outlook
One of our service users had served a 24-month sentence at HMP Winchester and was recalled to prison after failing to cope with his emotional and past issues in the community. He was using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. He moved into the Gosport IOM (Integrated Offender Management) House on July 19th, after being released…
Read MoreA Home for Healing: How SSJ Helped Ben and Wendy Find Stability and Overcome Addiction
Ben and Wendy have been associated with The Society of St James for a long time. Today, I had the opportunity to meet with them and learn about how SSJ has helped them reach the stable position they are in now. Ben has struggled with ADHD and diabetes for a long-time. Wendy’s problems started when…
Read MoreAlcohol Awareness Week 2023
At the Society of St James we see the true cost of alcohol on a daily basis and are therefore extremely supportive of Alcohol Change UK’s campaign. Alcohol Change UK’s theme this year is ‘Alcohol & Cost’ and they have put together a whole host of fact sheets that outline the true costs of Alcohol. We know…
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