It has been a challenging year for everybody – but the support from people and businesses from across Hampshire has meant a great deal to SSJ staff and service users.

We all hope that 2021 will be a better year for all.

Let’s End Homelessness.

From all at SSJ

Some selected 2020 news stories:

2020 in Review

International Women’s Day

First Place Award for Southern Co-op Partnership

Stories from Lockdown

SSJ and Re-Cycle Bikes Help Key Workers

Find more news stories here

Social distancing is hard! Whether you are used to going out and socialising, or having people over, the changes to the way we live are challenging for us all. Let’s face it, a connection of one kind or another is hard-wired into us humans, whether connection to other people for the extroverts among us or connection to nature and the great outdoors for those of us who need to recharge by spending time alone. Usually, in times of uncertainty, we can get stronger and feel supported by our sense of connection and yet here we are in a global pandemic being asked to do less of what we love. However, all is not lost!

Now is the time for being creative and finding new ways to connect with other people and the world around us. All across SSJ, teams and services are adapting to innovative ways to support people, and there is no reason why we shouldn’t practice what we preach and try some of these things ourselves. So here are some ideas for staying connected, whilst socially distant:

Connecting with others If you get strength from your relationships with others you might like to try some of these things:

• Download video calling apps such as Zoom or Skype and have (almost) face-to-face contact with people you already know
• Join an online forum related to some of your interests, or a local Facebook group to chat with others and share ideas for how to stay occupied
• Go old-school and send a letter! Letter writing is pretty cathartic, and who doesn’t like getting mail?

Connecting with nature Perhaps you’re missing the great outdoors. With government guidelines to take only short exercise and as locally as possible, you might notice the absence of long countryside walks or picnics in the park. Perhaps you could try these things:

• Herbs or small veggies can be grown pretty easily, even if you don’t have outside space. You can save the seeds from tomatoes or peppers and grow on a sunny windowsill. 
• Try to get outside at least once a day for a walk. Practice being present when you’re out and about; pay attention to the sounds around you and the changes spring brings. I have noticed a lot more birdsong recently.
• If you’re spending lots of time indoors, keep a window open and try to get as much natural light as possible, both of which are essential for overall wellbeing and a good night’s sleep.

Connecting with yourself Now might be a really good time to practice spending time meaningfully when alone if you don’t usually get opportunities to do so. For lots of us, the stripping back of our normal lives has illuminated what is important. Perhaps you could try some of these things:

• Journaling can be a really useful way to reflect on how we’re feeling, what we have been doing and what’s important to us. There are no rules, just try writing something once a day about what’s going on for you
• Take some time to think about what you have gained from social distancing. Perhaps it has focused your mind on what is important to you, or allowed you to try new things. Maybe it’s been really difficult and you have thought lots about what you are looking forward to most when the measures are lifted.
• You could take a trip down memory lane and look back at old photos, diaries or maybe even school reports! Spend time thinking about hobbies or interests that you might want to reignite or perhaps places you would like to go again in the future. 

We hope this helps our supporters as much as it is helping our service users. Stay safe, stay well, stay at home. We will get through this.

Coming off the back of our Christmas campaign, we wanted to try and find new ways to raise awareness about the work we do. We have spent the first two months of 2020 looking at new ways to engage with our supporters, and also creating new content on our website to help you understand more about the work we do.

We were also able to provide service users with a Christmas meal – all thanks to the money raised over Christmas. And the Cafe in the Park hosted a number of vulnerable people who by all accounts, had a great time. We also published a story about Patsy which told the story of the man who continues to drive us forward – even after his death.

And the start to 2020 has been just as busy as the end to 2019, with plenty of news stories to share – and even more to come over the next few weeks. The case study we published last week gives a good insight into how powerful positive actions can be – and this power comes from the support we get from our supporters.

We’ve also announced a number of activities to take place on International Women’s Day, as we continue our fight to end women’s homelessness – with support from Southern Co-op, HaHa Hairdressing, and the Ending Women’s Homelessness fund.

As well as this we have also created some tips on how you can raise money for us during 2020, as we ask people across the country to overcome their own challenge at the same time as our service users overcome theirs – and pledge your support to End Homelessness.

There are also a number of events taking place to raise money for SSJ, including the Spring Concert this Sunday. If you are holding an event and want to raise money to help end homelessness, feel free to email us and tell us about it – we love to hear more about what our supporters are up to.

Recent weather conditions

The recent storms can focus the mind on those who are living on the streets. With torrential rainfall and wind speeds in excess of 40mph, it is those who are affected by homelessness who feel the impact. The rain washes through the small amount of cover they have, the wind blows through the small amount of shelter they have – leaving them prone to the extreme cold – and the potential for illness. This is why the Day Service Centre makes a big difference – giving homeless people the chance to find shelter when they need it.

This is why our aim this year is to raise money so we can invest in housing across Hampshire.  By purchasing more property we can directly help those affected by homelessness and the severe weather conditions which are part of their everyday life. By providing shelter, these people can start the process of looking towards a brighter future.

To follow our updates, bookmark our news page, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. You can also follow us on LinkedIn to hear more about the work we do alongside local businesses.

We have some exciting news just over the horizon, so stay in touch on social media – and keep an eye out for our updates. 

Let’s end homelessness.

February 17th is #RandomActsOfKindnessDay, and it got me thinking about what I have done recently to offer help or support to somebody in need.

How often we walk by people who look like they are in trouble, not wanting to interrupt, or perhaps just too busy and in a rush – much like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!”

Since starting at the Society of St James in July 2019, I have noticed many things which have put a smile on my face. One thing which sticks in my mind is how all the small things add up and can make a big difference to the lives of others. Sometimes this might be a donation, other times it might be that our supporters share our news and this spreads across the internet like wildfire.

Even if 1,000 people donate £1, that money goes to help people change their lives. It takes people who have lived with no hope for so long, so much closer to getting over that final hurdle and into the accommodation they deserve. We have all had bad times in life and we have all had one person in those times commit to a random act of kindness to turn our fortunes around – and those on the streets are no different. One random act of kindness can transform a life.

Home pride

I recently heard a story about some of our service users who are now in accommodation provided by us. When the cleaner arrived the next morning she was told there was no mess and invited in for a tour. These people now have a place to live – one they are proud of, and that all comes from the acts of kindness we see regularly.

Every single day I notice the small things our team does to help improve the lives of those who have had the bottom fall out of their world, and it makes me feel so proud. Our service providers wake up each day with the determination to give others a better day than they had yesterday – and I have seen this happen in front of my eyes. Every day they do a job which makes a difference, each day they offer little acts of kindness to make a difference – because they care about less fortunate people.

I’ve seen what happens on the inside, and as the social media manager, I have seen the effort that goes in from people across the south coast – providing support when we need it, proving that in this world – which can get us all down – acts of kindness still exist. Whether you are paying it forward at our Cafe in the Park, donating to us directly, buying a refurbished computer, or meeting your fitness goals on a re-cycled bike, you are making a difference with your kindness and intent to support the Society of St James.

Kindness. It’s addictive. Pass it on.

Dennis Jones