Our news
Airport Lodge Joins the SSJ Stable: A Safe Space for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
We are delighted to announce the addition of Airport Lodge to the SSJ stable, our latest project aimed at providing housing and intensive resettlement support for individuals experiencing homelessness in the Farnborough and Aldershot areas. Our dedicated team provides comprehensive, trauma-informed support, addressing a range…
SSJ Bids Farewell to Chief Executive Trevor Pickup
After an extraordinary 31 years at the helm, Chief Executive Trevor Pickup is set to swap his leadership hat for a gardening fork as he retires from the Society of St. James (SSJ) in May 2024. Trevor’s dedication and leadership have become synonymous with the organisation, shaping its…
The Intersection of Mental Health, Addiction and Homelessness
Trauma’s Role on Mental Health, Addiction and Homelessness Trauma can have a profound impact on an individual’s life, often serving as a catalyst for the triple crisis of mental health, addiction, and homelessness. Deep-seated emotional wounds may result in mental health disorders such as depression,…
A Thank You To SSJ
I would like to express my thanks for the amazing help and input I’ve had from The Floating Support Service at the Society of St James and in particular Colin Howell and colleagues since January this year. I’m doing a Masters degree in Clinical and…
Natasha’s Story
Natasha’s journey with SSJ began as a client, marking the beginning of a transformative chapter in her life. Following her remarkable recovery, Natasha not only conquered personal challenges but also embraced a newfound purpose within the SSJ community. With unwavering dedication, she transitioned from being…
SSJ’s Accommodation-Based Support: A Story of B&Q’s Generosity
We are incredibly fortunate to have B&Q supporting our work here at SSJ. For the second time this year, as part of their annual Community Days programme, a team of B&Q employees worked tirelessly to transform the living space for residents that we are supporting…
Our Christmas Advent Calendar Is Here!
Christmas is coming! Our virtual advent calendar is launching on our social media channels today, featuring original poetry written by people with lived experience and performed by service users, volunteers and members of the SSJ team.
Simone’s Story
Hi my name is Simone or Sim to those who love me. I was born kicking and screaming in Boscombe. When I was two my family and I moved in a quaint lil village, fair oak, surrounded by tall woods and fields of pasture. I…
Transforming Lives: NHS Property Services’ Volunteer Projects Enhance Living Spaces for SSJ Residents
We are delighted that NHS Property Services has chosen SSJ’s residents to be beneficiaries of their volunteering activities. A team of volunteers from NHS Property Services has recently completed two projects to improve the living spaces for some of our residents in Southampton. They have…
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…
We 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…
Spoken Poetry by Poet in Recovery
Old Portsmouth Outing The Railway Poem The Christmas Poem
How 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…
How 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…
SSJ: 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….
Working 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,…
We are looking for new Trustees
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join The Society of St James as a Trustee where you will be able to have an impact on the work we do to end homelessness. We are looking for Trustees who are as committed as we are about…
Fishing 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…
A 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…
Lenny’s Heartwarming Journey: Climbing for a Cause
Inspired by the IOM Snowdon trip, committed and brave fundraiser, Lenny Court, aged 9, also decided to climb Mount Snowdon in July to raise funds to support people who have been rough sleeping. Lenny has been supporting our work since he was 5 collecting donations…
Alcohol 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…
SSJ’s Academy is Changing Lives
The Society of St James Academy is really starting to take shape ready for the big launch in 2024. Lucy and Rebecca, our newly appointed Academy Leads, have been working hard over the last few months to design a learning pathway that will appear on…
The Importance of Community Support
Patrick House is the location of one of SSJ’s Intensive Support Hostels and currently residing in one of the 57 rooms in the House in Millbrook is 23-year Jaike, pictured above with his support worker Natasha. Natasha and Jaike at Patrick House Last week I…
Snowdon Challenge
In late May, 21 residents from our Integrated Offender Management services will climb Mount Snowdon in Snowdonia National Park. Integrated Offender Management (IOM) is funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and is a partnership approach involving The Society of…
Service User and Residents Association (SURA)
Richard and Travis at SURA HQ Today I caught up with committee members, Ann and Travis, to find out about the development of our new Service User and Residents Association. SURA as it is now fondly known, opened its metaphorical doors under the expert eye…
Elaine’s Spinnaker Abseil Fundraiser
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Elaine at our Community Day Rehab (CDR) in Portsmouth. She is an inspirational lady, in recovery, who agreed to speak to me about her abseil fundraiser and why she is doing it. Whilst I was privileged and…
Working with Dentaid
Dentaid The Dental Charity, have been visiting our projects to bring a smile back to our residents faces. We are extremely grateful for Dentaid’s work and the support that they have given to our residents over the last year. They have provided 17 mobile clinics…
International Women’s Day 2023
We are proud to support International Women’s Day 2023 and the theme this year is Embracing Equity. Here we talk about the issues faced by women who are homeless, what we are doing to better support them and how you can help. Find out more…
Food Waste Action Week 2023
Food Waste Action Week 2023 We’re proud to announce that on March 6th we’ll be supporting Love Food Hate Waste’s Food Waste Action Week campaign. This year’s rallying cry – Win. Don’t Bin – is a week of action which brings the nation together to…
New move-on flats open in Southampton
Our Asset and Housing management teams brought another 6 self-contained flats online in Southampton last week and welcomed the 6 new residents. All 6 flats are ring-fenced for those that have either been homeless or have been at risk of becoming homeless due to their vulnerability. This brings us to a…