It’s been something of a strange year for all of us across the world. As a charity, we have faced many new challenges and had to adapt to what some are calling the ‘new normal’.

Since our update in March we have been faced with the issues caused by COVID-19, which you can read about in our Newsletter. The one consistent in all of this is that we are always there for the most vulnerable – through normal times and during any crisis that happens in the country.

We are looking at some of the news stories we have posted during the past few months to reflect on some of the stories we have shared with you.

In March we shared a case study about our Re-Cycle Bikes project, which gives service users the chance to learn new life skills as well as helping improve their feeling of self-worth and mindfulness. Since then, the team at Jordan House has worked tirelessly to collect and refurbish bikes that have gone on to help Key Workers across Southampton and Portsmouth during the COVID-19 crisis.

As mentioned in our update in March, we were planning a week-long set of activities and events to give our female service users the chance to enjoy some mindfulness sessions, as well as pampering, new haircuts, and a bake-off competition. Hosting through our Horizons Project and with support from The Southern Co-op, the event was a huge success – and you can read about that here. 

And just before lockdown happened in March, we wrote about Café in the Park and some of the delightful food on the menu – whilst also reflecting on the Pay it Forward scheme. The café is once again open – but with a limited menu and outside seating only. If you get the chance to visit the café you can still Pay It Forward to help vulnerable people.

During the lockdown, we were delighted to learn that we had won an award at the Business Charity Awards, thanks to our partnership with The Southern Co-op. This came at a time when everybody was still coming to terms with ‘the new normal’ and was a welcome morale boost for all staff members and everybody involved in our partnership with The Southern Co-op.

The most important aspect of lockdown for us was making sure our service users had the support they needed. Louise Bolton shared her top tips for social distancing – which we had been using with the most vulnerable people in our care. As well as this, the tremendous support from you helped us brighten up lockdown for residents at St James Care.

More recently, thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, we were able to purchase a new van which will help combat the impact of COVID-19 – allowing us to make essential deliveries of medication and more.

We’ve covered a lot of the community work in our Newsletter, which we highly recommend reading.

Winter 2020

We are now turning our focus towards the winter months. World Homelessness Week takes place this October and gives us the chance to ask people to think about what it means to be vulnerable and homeless. We also have several videos from our CEO which we will share across Social Media and of course, we are already looking at the cold winter months and planning to look after those in our care during that time.

Like our Facebook page: facebook.com/SocietyofStJames/

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/SSJCharity

Thank you for all your support. We will post another review in January.

Twelve months ago I started working at the Society of St James as their Social Media, Communications, and Marketing Officer. I remember my first day in the office like it was yesterday – turning up as early as I possibly could – after catching the 6am ferry from the Isle of Wight – my old home and arriving outside the doors at Albert Road South ready to start.

Back then I had an understanding of what SSJ did. I’d spent hours researching and reading articles, looking on news sites, finding videos. But 12 months on I now have a much greater understanding and knowledge about the work we do.

I have learned so much in 12 months from the CEO, Senior Managers, Project Managers, and more. Their passion and determination to provide the very best in life for the most vulnerable are second to none. It has driven me to do even more in my own spare time to make a difference. I have heard stories about how – with hard work and determination, lives can be transformed.

Last November I was told about some of our service users who had been moved into a new property within Southampton. Nothing shocking there – it’s what we do. But what made me so proud was hearing about the first time a cleaner turned up at their door, to be invited in for a guided tour of their new flat. They were so proud of the fact they were now living in a place they could call home – the cleaner left without having to do a single thing – and the story was shared with staff at SSJ.

Hearing that helped me understand what it means to help people turn their lives around. I sit at home and sometimes throw a duvet over myself as I watch Netflix and I don’t even think about how lucky I am. This story reminded me that I am one of the luckiest people on earth that I can go to a warm and comfortable home each evening and not have to worry about where I will be tomorrow.

I remember reading the Case Study about the Homeless Day Service in Portsmouth as I prepared it to go live on our website. I remember sitting there and choking back a few tears as I read about the selflessness of the staff members who look after people with a history of homelessness. I remember thinking about those who turn up at the day service in Portsmouth and are provided with things that are a luxury to them, but you and I are things we take for granted.

International Women’s Day  was an incredible event to be part of, seeing ladies smiling for the first time in years as they were given the chance to enjoy a haircut, chocolates, a pampering session. These are things that I have always looked at as part of life – but these ladies were enjoying them for the first time in their lives and it meant so much to them.

I also think about the donations which come into SSJ from our incredible supporters and how that money goes towards giving people a fresh start and the chance to live the life they deserve but were not rewarded with due to awful circumstances in their lives. I have seen people with addictions come out on the other side, people who have slept on the streets for years find themselves in a warm bed for the first time – and I have seen just how much it means to every single one of them.

Just recently, thanks to our wonderful charity partners, The Southern Co-op, we were recognised for a national award at the Business Charity Awards. This news came in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and I remember phoning my boss and just having no words to describe what it meant to us. We were constantly listening to stories from our wonderful key workers about how they were helping the most vulnerable in society – and this award was something that gave everybody at SSJ a boost at the perfect time.

Last month I spoke to Owen, a service user, for our newsletter. He had come to SSJ during the lockdown as his life had fallen apart. He has been kicked out of the place he was living, work had dried up, he felt he had nothing left to give – and so he made the decision that he wanted to end his life.

Speaking to Owen, he told me that if it was not for SSJ, he wouldn’t be here now. Owen is currently aiming to move into support work himself, so he can help people who are in the same position he was in – he wants to give something back in the way he knows how – to share what he went through to save others.

And that to me sums up exactly what we do. It gives people the chance to transform their lives. And when I think about it, in a very small way, SSJ has changed my life too. I can’t think of a better job to do – where I can be in a position to tell you the stories about the work we do at SSJ to make the world a better place for thousands of people each year.

I love working for SSJ. I get so much joy from seeing the positive impact on each and individual we look after. Everybody deserves a shot at a normal life.

Dennis

We launched Pay It Forward at an event back in July thanks to the generous support of Southern Co-op. We welcomed representatives from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner,  local councillors and council staff as well as many members of the local community to the event, all of whom kick-started the donations. Since the launch, the generous Portsmouth community have donated 689 vouchers.

Staff and volunteers at the Café have been blown away by the generosity of the Café’s patrons; Café Manager Annette said “to be able to give out vouchers to disadvantaged people, have a chat with them, to be able to give a dad a voucher who otherwise would not be able to afford an ice-cream for his child on a hot day is just awe-inspiring”.  A staff member said “The homeless are so grateful – it’s great to be able to help them”.  Our chef told me proudly that “we’ve even had kids donating”.  All the customers think it’s a great idea and many have wondered why more Cafes don’t do the same thing!

As the vouchers are being distributed to the less fortunate word is getting out and patrons have been delighted to witness first-hand the benefits this single act of kindness can bring.  Craig said “It really helps with breaking the ice with the homeless – it’s great to get to know them.”

Craig continued: “patrons are asked to write comments to accompany the voucher, a recent patron wrote “hoping this little bit of kindness can bring warmth to your heart, a smile to your face and brighten your day…Enjoy.”

Initiated by staff at the Café, some of whom have experienced life on the streets, Pay It Forward is a way for the public to show they care by buying a voucher for someone less fortunate. In exchange for a £2 donation, those who are disadvantaged can get a hot drink or seasonal snack at the Café.  We then ensure that the vouchers are given to someone facing multiple disadvantages such as homelessness, poverty and/or substance misuse and will offer signposting to support if appropriate.

The Café in Victoria Park in Portsmouth is yet again going to be the focus of The Society of St. James’ activities when it plays host to the first Portsmouth based SSJ Sleep Out in November.  Supporters of the charity will collect sponsorship money to sleep out under the stars, so why not register now and join us in Victoria Park this November.

Southern Co-op colleagues have been working really hard to find different ways to support the work of the charity, and on Friday, it was the turn of Southern Co-op’s Chief Executive, Mark Smith and his senior leadership team. They met with SSJ’s Senior Management team at the Cafe in the Park, for an exploratory lunch.

Not only has Southern Co-op put the full weight of its communication and community teams behind the Pay it Forward campaign, at the Cafe in the Park, Portsmouth, but colleagues are also working hard to explore new ways to work with SSJ on future campaigns – to continue their work to help support the most vulnerable in society.

Speaking about the meeting on Friday (2nd), Chief Executive of the Society of St James, Trevor Pickup, said: “both organisations agreed to spend some time describing what we did, to see what natural areas of overlap may exist. This has the potential of us both being able to share relevant skills and experience, to the benefit of both organisations. I am excited to see what may develop as we get to know each other better.”

As part of their continued support, SSJ was chosen by colleagues at Southern Co-op’s head office to be their charity of the year.

We continue to be amazed by Southern Co-op’s commitment to us as a charity and we can’t wait to see where the partnership goes next!