Our news
SSJ awarded Portsmouth contract to continue providing substance misuse services
SSJ awarded Portsmouth substance misuse contract The Society of St James are delighted to have been awarded the contract to continue providing substance misuse services and recovery housing for Portsmouth residents on behalf of Portsmouth City Council. We have partnered with Inclusion (Part of…
From our staff: a blog from Sean Smith
We’re going to be running a new feature where we talk to our members of staff about their work at SSJ and why they love working here. We have hundreds of members of staff from unique and interesting backgrounds, some have been with us for…
Rodney – the cartoonist who created the Queen
We are so proud of the residents at our care homes. People from different backgrounds, with unique skills and all with great character and stories. We love telling you about those at St James Care who have something unique, a talent, a dream, or even…
2022 – the year so far
It’s been an exciting year for SSJ, we have had a lot happening behind the scenes – and we will have some news on what has been happening since the beginning of 2022 soon. This year has been an exciting year for us though, not…
Volunteers Week – help support us
Voluntary Roles in profile: Volunteers Week Working as a volunteer for SSJ gives you the chance to support people who have had a life affected by homelessness. There are hundreds of people less fortunate than us, who haven’t had the same opportunities in life and…
Modular Home a success for SSJ (Video exclusive)
For our service users, happiness is their own home – and recently that dream came true; having a place to call home, when a resident moved into a brand-new self-contained modular home with a unique background. With support from Balfour Beatty, who designed and constructed…
We’re looking for community groups who want to support us in 2022.
Are you part of a community group which is looking to support a local charity this year and next? We are looking to build relationships with community groups that want to support is and help raise money that will purchase much needed essentials for people…
Looking Back: 2007
Looking Back: 2007 – our 35th Year As we approach the middle year of our 50th anniversary, I am looking back at the year 2007 – and our 35th Anniversary memorial Booklet, which was produced to celebrate 35 years of supporting people affected by homelessness….
50th Celebration Challenge – Show us what you’ve got
50th Challenge Without you we wouldn’t be half the organisation we are. From the support we receive in donations each month – to the overwhelming good feeling we receive from each and every person we encounter – we are truly grateful for what we see…
Fundraising in 2022 – Our Golden Year
Our 50th anniversary year is nearly over and we are now facing a challenging few years ahead, helping our local communities in Hampshire to navigate the cost of living crisis. Our homelessness and substance misuse services are even more in demand of late and our…
What does Christmas mean to people affected by homelessness?
What is Christmas to those without a home? What does Christmas mean to people who are affected by homelessness? Do they notice the bright lights, do they watch people walk by – Christmas shopping in the cold evenings? Do they wonder what might happen if…
Jason “SSJ made my Christmas”
This blog was written in 2020, but has been republished to celebrate 50 years of SSJ and to represent what the future looks like for our service users. Jason was homeless at Christmas Jason said; “Last Christmas (2020) I was living in my friends van, drinking…
Welcome to our Christmas Appeal 2021
Today we launch our Christmas Appeal to provide a gift or a hot meal to somebody affected by homelessness We are fast approaching Christmas and people are already busily following street lights under the haze of the cold evenings, watching the displays in windows as…
Supporting us this winter
Summer seems to have come and gone without much celebration – and for us that means we are focusing on one of the most important parts of the year. Autumn, Winter and Christmas is an important time for us at SSJ – as we start…
Technologywithin’s bike challenge raises money for SSJ
On Friday 17th September technologywithin, the UK’s leading provider of technology for flexible workspaces and multi tenanted offices spaces, held its first Gran Fondo cycling event to raise money for the Society of St James.
Case Study: Dom – the success of our care homes
Linden House – St James Care Our care homes are an integral part of our support services; working with people with alcohol dependency as well as complex mental health needs, we provide both long-term care and specialist, intensive respite. Dom was one of our residents. He was at Linden House for a short period…
Fundraising: Winter is Coming
Fundraising in the winter? We dare you! Summer seemed to go fast, didn’t it? We’ve had an interesting time in fundraising – most of the excitement came from our online art festival, but we have also had some fantastic donations come in which we have…
Green Fingers means Positive Space for Service Users
We are delighted to be working with Brodie, owner of Green Fingers Gardening Specialists, and his team who have helped us landscape our gardens to provide a place for service users to relax and unwind. Having social areas where our service users can de-stress, relax…
Case Study: Jodie’s Story
Jodie has been talking with Anni Bury, SSJ Recovery Worker, about alcohol dependency, pregnancy and rebuilding her family as part of our ’50 stories’ series. “I drank heavily when my mum passed away. She had a bleed on her brain and she passed away in…
Congratulations to the winners of the Great Cre8 2021
Back in March we launched our Great Cre8 competition which was all about supporting our service users find a passion. Being creative plays a big part in the journey our service users take – from music sessions to art therapy, helping them focus on something…
HIWCF awards SSJ money to support Re-Fit
Grant for Mountain Bikes will Benefit Service Users Hampshire & IoW Community Fund has awarded £2,100 to the Society of St James and Re-Fit which will help pay for much-needed mountain bikes. Re-Fit offers vulnerable people who have been affected by complex issues the chance…
Yearly update from SSJ
It’s been a really busy year for us at the Society of St James, just as it has been for people from across the world. We hope you have all had a good year and are in good health and spirits as we head towards…
Isle of Wight Bike trip builds confidence for service users
The Isle of Wight is renowned for being a place that is perfect mindfulness, and 12 service users were given the opportunity to try this for themselves with a bike riding team-building and exercise. We provided the opportunity for service users to experience the thrill…
Contactless donating comes to Southampton
As we approach our 50th anniversary, it has become clear to us that the avenues people use for fundraising have changed. A great example of this is the recently launched contactless giving points which have been installed across Southampton as an easy way to donate…
News: Safer Neighbourhood Fund featured in Portsmouth News
The Safer Neighbourhood Fund, a scheme by our partners The Southern Co-op was recently highlighted by The Portsmouth News. The report says; “working in Portsmouth and Southampton, The Society of St James has helped 23 ex-offenders learn new life and social skills, helping them to…
Fundraising – How to Support Us
Welcome to the first in a new series of blogs about how you can fundraise for SSJ. As a charity that supports people affected by homelessness and complex issues such as a history of trauma with subsequent alcohol dependency or drug addiction, we are always…
“I need help” – Liam’s Story (Case Study)
“I NEED HELP” – SSJ WAS THERE WHEN LIAM WAS READY TO TURN HIS LIFE AROUND Liam Crook has been talking to Project Worker Elizabeth Judkins about his journey to recovery and the part SSJ played in his recovery as part of our ’ 50…
50 Years and 50 stories for our Golden Jubilee
50 years – Our Golden Jubilee Back in the summer of 1972 we saw the launch of the first digital watch, Atari set the video-game world in motion with Pong and the VW Beetle became the most popular car ever sold, with more than 15m…
News: Closure of Re-cycle Bikes
Re-Cycle Bikes to close in June 2021. In light of this we have stopped receiving donations and thus will no longer be able to collect donated bikes as from today (7/6/21). Re-Cycle would like to thank our supporters for the contributions they have made over…
National Recognition for scheme SSJ are part of
The BMA (British Medical Association) have written about a scheme – which has been publicised nationally and is something SSJ has been recognised for locally. This is another example of some of the great work done by SSJ and it is great to see this…