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 years, others have come to us because they believe in our vision to end homelessness – and some have been service users for SSJ and now work with us to support others in a similar situation to what they were in.

Today we have a blog written by Sean Smith, a team leader for SSJ who works with some of of the most vulnerable people at SSJ. Sean has been with us a few years and wanted to write about why he loves working for SSJ.

Sean Smith:

I have worked with a variety of vulnerable adults and children across Hampshire for 22 years. After frequently working in partnership with them for many of these years, in 2019 I was lucky enough to land myself a job with the Society of St James. I had applied for positions previously, and it was no secret to my now-boss that I had been desperate to join him at SSJ for aeons, but hadn’t found the right vacancy that suited my skillset and experience.

All of a sudden, the chance to take the reins of a pioneering “housing first”-style service came to my attention. It was a no brainer and I applied. Getting the phone call to tell me I was successful was a moment of sheer elation. Next thing I knew, I was working for an inclusive, supportive charity that felt more like a family or a group of old friends than what I had experienced previously. Then, of course, the entire world went bonkers and we all faced a two-year period the likes of which we could have never imagined.

Throughout the uncertain, often desolate, always challenging pandemic period, I was privileged to be tasked with guiding and building the Supported Lettings Team, which provides intense, almost bespoke, psychologically and trauma-informed support for clients with long, chequered histories of homelessness, complex substance misuse and mental illness. I had moved from a businesslike, politics driven prior role to one where I looked forward to waking up each day to find out what the day held in store, working alongside and hopefully helping to nurture a team of dedicated, talented and hardworking staff.

The pandemic was a challenge we all met head-on, and gave me and my team some work experiences that we will probably never encounter again. Having to face scowling faced members of the public as we bulk shopped dry goods for our clients in supermarkets. Driving around the City trying to find hand sanitiser. Finding hand sanitiser that was made from a premium brand of gin.

Administering so may lateral flow tests that I could probably now do one with a blindfold on. Attempting to try and enforce a litany of social distancing rules and regulations with clients that have no intention of following protocols. Discovering the magical, buffering-tastic hinterland that is the online meeting. I loved it all really. I wouldn’t want to do it all again though.

I was privileged to be tasked with establishing not one but two brand new services for the Society, which are still going strong and in the case of the Supported Lettings Team, have expanded. I have had an amazing opportunity to work with some of the most unique, complex and rewarding clients. I now have some fascinating partnership working with a specialist NHS team, and work within a sector and with clients that very few people ever get to experience.

I am based in a beautiful house that has been developed and renovated with an eye on providing a homely, psychologically informed environment. I am seeing positive results. I see amazing staff doing amazing things with people that have gone through unimaginable trauma in their lives. I am so proud to be a part of it. Every day is different – I continue to encounter learning opportunities and am broadening my knowledge and experience at every turn, supported by a wonderful staff and a supportive management structure.

Coming to work for SSJ is the best decision I ever made. I am now in a role that combines all of my previous experiences, with the added responsibility of guiding and supporting other staff. With the successful tenders and expansion within Hampshire and beyond, I work for an organisation that I am genuinely proud of, and will happily sing the praises of each and every service under its umbrella from the rooftops.

Thank you to Sean for taking time to write about his work at SSJ

There are many ways to support SSJ, you can donate to help support people without a home, find out more about other ways you can support us, or if you are like Sean, maybe you’d like to work for SSJ – and you can find out about jobs we have available here.

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.

Over the next few weeks, I plan on reproducing some of the content from that booklet – as a reminder of who we are and where we have come from. It’s so important that we are able to look back at the journey we have been on, as well as the growth we have seen as a charity. It’s thanks to that growth that we are able to help and support more and more people each year.

Since the booklet was produced in 2007, we have opened a cafe where the public can pay it forward, taken on two care homes – and increased our support network for homeless people across Hampshire.

So let’s take a look at some of the stories from the booklet.

Patsy

We have already told the story about Patsy. Our CEO wrote a blog about him nearly two years ago, you can read that here.

The booklet goes on to say that Patsy was a well known and well-loved character around St James. Unfortunately, his drinking kept him unsettled, and he was in and out of the shelter and detox unit – but was most often found sleeping rough. Anne Barrett had the chance to take a number of portraits of Patsy, and from these, a painting was created – and this still hangs on the wall of our CEO, Trevor Pickup at our head office.

Sadly, one evening, Patsy was drinking and sleeping rough. It was a cold night and he went to sleep in a ‘skipper’, where he got locked in and sadly, suffered an alcohol induced seizure. Patsy was found unconscious the next day but passed away in hospital a few days later.

We would highly recommend reading the blog by Trevor to understand more about the character of Patsy.

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 they search for a gift to share with their loved ones which tells them they are not alone.

Christmas for most people is a time of reflection and joy. It’s a time when we can come together and recognise how lucky we are to be able to enjoy time with friends and family, reflecting on the year behind us and focusing on celebrating of love, forgiveness and togetherness.

It’s the opposite for those in our care as they come to grips with a Christmas away from the comforts of a warm home. They won’t be unwrapping presents in front of loved ones, they won’t be anticipating the taste of a cooked bird and the feast that accompanies it and they won’t sit back reminiscing with family members about days gone by.

Donate to our 2021 appeal by clicking here

By supporting our Christmas appeal, you’re providing hope, happiness and a little bit of the Christmas spirit to people who have and expect nothing at a time of year where loneliness can impact mental health and emotional wellbeing.

If you want to read more about our Christmas Appeal, visit our dedicated page and read about Jason’s journey – from homelessness at Christmas to the support he has received from The Society of St James, where he is now planning for a better and brighter future and a Christmas he can enjoy in 2021.

In 2020 we were able spend £4,500 on Asda Gift Vouchers for residents, approximately £4,200 on Christmas dinners for residents with suitable facilities, and where this wasn’t possible the Cafe in the Park produced a special Christmas hamper which was distributed to residents. Many residents were able to enjoy spending time with other service users and the true spirit of Christmas was in place for those who benefited from the 2020 campaign.

Donate to our campaign by visiting this link and help us raise £10,000 in 2021.

If you want to support our campaign or would like more information, email Dennis.Jones@SSJ.org.uk 

The year started with news that we had passed our goals for our 2020 Christmas Campaign, which meant that we were able to use that money to provide meals for people affected by homelessness, whilst the money raised in excess of the original target was used to help service users on the road to recovery. We are all aware that December was challenging for many of our supporters so the support you showed last Christmas meant a great deal to us.

We also published an interview with the Senior Management team, who spoke about the challenges faced during 2020, as well as the plans ahead for the charity and what this means for the next chapter in the history of SSJ as we move towards our 50th year in 2022. As well as this we shared stories about some of our partnerships, including one with Abri.

We also spoke to Liam, a service user, who told us that his cry for help was listened to – and that SSJ played a massive part in his recovery. Liam sent an emotional message of thanks to Hannah in his interview saying “Hannah I wouldn’t be where I am without your help over the last few months, you helped me achieve my goal of being clean and sober. I’m hugely grateful and will be for the rest of my life”

We also told the story of service users who had the opportunity to head to the Isle of Wight for a team-building bike ride to build confidence and help improve mindfulness.

And we recently shared the exciting news about new contactless donation hubs which are situated across Southampton thanks to the Street Support Network and Go! Southampton. A third of the money raised will go to SSJ – with two other charities also receiving the same from the new initiative to help tackle homelessness.

There are so many more stories we will be telling this year – from supporters to service users, as well as fundraisers and staff. Why not tell us about your story? Email Comms@ssj.org.uk and let us know your story.

We provided the opportunity for service users to experience the thrill and excitement of a bike ride to and from Sandown, a coastal town on the east side of the island.

The trip was made possible thanks to a £4K grant from the My Journey grant, provided by Southampton City Council. And £2K from the West Quay – Hampshire & IoW Community Fund. These grants were given to help replace our existing fleet of mountain bikes, ensuring the ongoing success and benefits to our service users.

It was a very enjoyable day. It was great to go on a bike ride in a different place. It would be amazing to be given a chance to go again.

Here’s the story in the words of Ash Christopher, Re-Fit Team Leader:

“On 17th June 2021, twelve of the participants embarked on a cycling adventure to the Isle of Wight (IoW). The plan was to catch the ferry to East Cowes and then cycle to Sandown, have a swim, a bit to eat and cycle back again. A total of 35 miles. This was to be our furthest ride to date, so in preparation, we needed to build up stamina and speed to make the journey, so we completed a number of pre-IoW rides clocking ever increasing distances.

“On the day we met at 8:30am at the bike garage to make the last-minute safety and equipment checks before we left. We then set out from the garage at 9am and got to the Town Quay Red Funnel Ferry terminal by 9:20am, where we bought our tickets. By 10am we were then on board, leaving for the island. Once we disembarked in East Cowes, at 11am. We headed up York Avenue, a steep hill leading out towards Osborne House, the home of Queen Victoria, on our way to Newport to get onto the Red Squirrel Way cycle path. The total distance from East Cowes to Sandown was 16 miles, we had to climb steep hills and navigate busy roundabouts and traffic.

“Having arrived in Sandown after a 2hr cycle ride we had earned a well-deserved rest. We tucked into our packed lunches and some of us were brave enough to go for a dip in the sea. We only had 1hr before we set off on the return journey back. On the return journey we were up against the clock, needing to board the 4:30pm return ferry, in East Cowes. Everyone gave it their all, in the sun, wind and rain. We arrived with 15 minutes to spare.

“It was fantastic to see the riders come together as a group, supporting, motivating and encouraging each other, whilst sharing in this great adventure.”

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with Jay commenting that “it was a very enjoyable day. It was great to go on a bike ride in a different place. It would be amazing to be given a chance to go again.” One service-user also said that “the Isle of Wight was a memorable trip, good fun and a really nice change to cycle somewhere I’ve never been before.”

This would not have been possible without the support from My Journey Hampshire and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Fund. 

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 sales since launch.

That summer also saw the very first service users take shelter in St James Church Hall, (St Nicholas Church, in Bernard Street, Southampton), in what became the very start of our endeavour to end Homelessness.

Since then we have increased the amount of housing for people affected by homelessness, improved support for people with complex issues such as substance misuse, as well as providing mental health support as a psychologically informed charity.

The society supports vulnerable people in overcoming challenges in their lives that prevent them from leading a fulfilling and rewarding life. We believe that having a safe place to call home is a fundamental human right and without this everything is a challenge.

Dennis Jones, who works in fundraising for SSJ says: “This is a time to tell the stories from 50-years of supporting people affected by homelessness. We want to hear from anybody who has worked with or been supported by SSJ.

We know there are many stories to tell and we want to celebrate the work done by our incredible staff and the journeys undertaken by people who have quite literally changed their lives. We want to share experiences from the past and present as we head into the future with our eyes fully on ending homelessness once and for all.“

Turning 50

We are fast approaching our 50th anniversary, at a time where digital watches can handle phone calls and millions of people now play video games for a living – yet homelessness has continued to affect people on every continent on earth. The world may have changed since 1972, but our goals haven’t.

We started out with 12-men in a hostel and now help thousands of people affected by homelessness each year. Our projects, such as Café in the Park and Jamie’s Computers have given service users the chance to step into employment – which gives much needed self-belief and hope, often leading to long-term employment elsewhere.

We wouldn’t be here without the support of the thousands of people across Hampshire who have donated, volunteered and been there by our side since day one, helping us spread the message of our work far and wide – together we have transformed countless lives.

The Golden Jubilee

As part of our build-up to our 50th anniversary next year, we will be publishing 50 stories from the Society of St James, from service users and supporters to staff – telling the stories you don’t usually hear and helping share the positive messages that we see every day – life-changing moments captured by people who have been here helping us tackle the ever-present problem of homelessness.

We welcome you in helping us celebrate our 50th anniversary. We will have more information on our plans over the coming months.

Want to support us during our Golden Jubilee year? Email: Dennis.Jones@SSJ.org.uk

Nicky said: “The support received from the PCC’s office is invaluable and allows staff to offer a trauma-informed, strength-based approach to individuals with a history of homelessness and/or substance misuse issues. “Individuals with complex needs are given a place of safety to begin to address underlying issues. Wrap-around support and exceptional partnership working have contributed to a significant reduction in crime and positive move on to sustained independent living.”

Read more HERE (head to page 44)

Thank you to the Hampshire PCC for all your support.

My Journey Community Grants and Southampton Council have awarded £4,000 to the Society of St James and Saints4Sport which will help pay for much-needed mountain bikes.

Saints4Sport offers vulnerable people who have been affected by complex issues the chance to enjoy sporting activities such as mountain biking through the New Forest – which helps with fitness as well as mental health.

The bikes which were being used by the team were starting to fall apart and required regular maintenance to work as they should. The new bikes mean the team will now have 10 new reliable bikes that can be used by the Saints4Sport team members on their road to recovery.

Ashley Christopher, Team Leader at Saints4Sport said: “We are delighted with this grant from MyJourney Community Grants and Southampton Council.

“Being able to purchase the new bikes means we have secured the future of our mountain biking activities which are such a benefit to the service users.

“We regularly head out on cycling activities across the south, including visits to the New Forest. We get to see the benefit this has on the service users through improved mental health and better fitness – so these bikes will play a big part in improving the lives of those who are recovering from homelessness or addictions.”

The Society of St. James Saints4Sport Project is run in partnership with the Saints Foundation and offers free educational, sport, and employment support activities to adults who are affected by the harmful impact of substance misuse, homelessness, poor mental health, and involvement with the Criminal Justice System.

Alongside the physical activities, we also offer many other opportunities for people to develop their skills and confidence, including access to training and education, with courses such as Health and Social Care, First Aid, Stewarding, Criminology, and Customer Service available.

For more information on Saints4Sport, visit: ssj.org.uk/sub-service/saints4sports/