In 2025 SSJ purchased Shales Road. Shales Road is a 6-bed shared house and yet another big move for SSJ towards ending homelessness across Southampton. Shales Road is now part of the SSJ Supported Lettings Pathway, a pathway for service users who require intensive support…

When we talk about homelessness, the focus is often on the visible struggles—lack of shelter, food insecurity, or joblessness and beneath the surface lies a deeper, often invisible wound: trauma. For many experiencing homelessness, trauma isn’t just part of the story—it is the story. 🧠…

Meet Kelly a recovery worker in the Portsmouth homeless drug and alcohol team. Homelessness, substance misuse and poor mental health are often linked, creating a complex array of challenges for individuals struggling to rebuild their lives. In Portsmouth, a dedicated team is working tirelessly to…

As we welcome the spring season, spare a thought for those who do not have a safe space to call home. At the core of what we do is a simple yet powerful belief: a safe space to live is a fundamental human right. However,…

Meet Georgia, a dedicated support worker at our Rough Sleeping Support Service in Portsmouth. This vital service encompasses three temporary accommodation blocks, offering over 100 places for people to stay and all tailored to individual support needs. The team also includes an outreach team and…

We are incredibly grateful for your generosity during our 2024 Christmas campaign. Since the launch of our campaign on 1 December, we’ve raised a fantastic £61,497.78, along with countless donations of clothing, Christmas presents, food, and more. Thanks to you, we exceeded our £50,000 target—what…

At the Society of St James, we are thrilled to announce our new partnership with our local neighbors, Tandem Electrical, experts in electrical services with NICEIC accreditation. This collaboration promises to make a lasting impact, with Tandem committing to generous regular donations to SSJ and…

This Christmas, we are aiming to raise £50,000 to fund our vital work supporting people experiencing homelessness across Southampton, Portsmouth, and across Hampshire. It is a moral, human right for someone to have somewhere to live and SSJ walk beside those experiencing homelessness to help them navigate…

The Society of St James (SSJ) has responded to the recent UK Autumn Budget with a mixture of cautious optimism and concern. While the Chancellor’s announcement of increased funding for local authorities and the Affordable Homes project represents a welcome step forward in tackling homelessness,…

Our new Chief Executive, Tania Marsh, joined us in June. We’re so glad she has joined the SSJ Team and we’re extremely excited for our bright future with her. Watch her interview below to get to know her better.

We are thrilled to announce that the SSJ Academy has been awarded a prestigious grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, totalling £835,610! We are extremely grateful to the National Lottery and National Lottery players for recognising our hard work and for investing in SSJ…

At SSJ we work with people facing multiple disadvantages. They face a combination of problems with their current circumstances being shaped by long term exposure to poverty, deprivation, trauma, and abuse. These inequalities can manifest in a combination of issues including drug misuse. On average…

At SSJ, we feel it’s important to raise awareness more than just during October’s Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. Are you or someone you are supporting experiencing emotional, physical, or verbal abuse? You are not alone. SSJ is here to help. Domestic violence affects millions of…

This summer, we want to bring sunshine into the lives of vulnerable adults experiencing multiple disadvantages with our Stronger Relationships, Brighter Futures campaign!

We are excited to officially launch the SSJ Academy. This comprehensive initiative has been designed to help residents and service users transform their lives through meaningful activity.

Bayard Rustin was one of the closest associates of Martin Luther King and an important figure in the civil rights movement. Rustin campaigned not only for the rights of African Americans but also the rights of the LGBTQ community. Rustin urged those who felt afraid…

Trevor’s Leaving Do On Friday, 17th May, SSJ’s Chief Executive, Trevor Pickup retired after 31 years of service to the charity and community. We celebrated Trevor’s achievements at his retirement party, where we enjoyed a delightful evening reminiscing on the incredible journey SSJ has taken…

What is trauma? Trauma. It’s a word we hear often, yet its actual impact on individuals can sometimes be missed or misunderstood. When we speak of trauma, we’re talking about experiences that shake a person to their core, leaving deep scars on their mind and…

A Touch of Magic, a Portsmouth based charity who chose SSJ as their cause for 2023, have been fundraising for us throughout 2023. They set a target of £10,000, but absolutely smashed it by raising £10,836! A Touch of Magic hosted a range of events…

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…

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…

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,…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…