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 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 looking for ways to brighten up the lives of the individuals we support.

Fundraising for SSJ is a great way to show your support – knowing that the money you raise goes to support and help those who traditionally have nothing at all.

We recently released a video where CEO Trevor Pickup talks a little about the properties we buy and refurbish and how that benefits our service users in giving them a chance to move on into their own accommodation and the effect that has on their mental wellbeing.

Most people who have been impacted by homelessness have no ID, no decent clothes to attend job interviews and occasionally need help to travel to and from job interviews and training.

This is where your help with fundraising for us comes in by helping to fund the refurbishment of properties ring-fenced for those who have been homeless and to help them move on in life.

Here are 5 ways you can fundraise for SSJ and help make a difference to our service users and residents.

Think up a theme

Why not spend your day at work wearing a hat that you have made, or perhaps spend a day at your desk in a sleeping bag. Think about something you and your colleagues will enjoy and raise money by getting people to sponsor you to build, create or do.

Host a Quiz

Get as many friends together – staying as socially distanced as possible and host a quiz. Or why not live-stream a quiz on Youtube and share it across community groups. We’d suggest setting up tickets to attend (Eventbrite is good for this) and send the link for live streaming an hour before the quiz goes live.

Tennis Teams

Get together with a group of friends at a tennis court and have 10 or more on each side – when somebody misses the ball somebody takes their place. Each person is sponsored for 10/20p for every ball missed. Our comms man Dennis once did this and it is a lot of fun to do.

E-Treasure Hunt

Why not be the new Anneka Rice and set up a treasure hunt for friends and family. We’d suggest a £5 entry fee – do it digitally and set up pages and clues across the internet that lead to one big prize. From a web page with a puzzle to solve leading to a newly set up social media channel – we’d be happy to help by storing the final answer somewhere for you….

Keep it Simple

Sometimes the best ways to raise money are the simple ones. Run, walk, jog, climb, walk, bike, whatever you want to do to raise money for SSJ – it all helps make a massive difference to those we look after – so go raise money and have a fantastic summer of fundraising for SSJ!

Are you already raising money for SSJ? Let us know and we can share it on our channels. Email Comms@SSJ.org.uk

• £30 raised could buy one person much needed ID
• £40 raised could give one week of travel to interviews or training
• £50 raised could buy an outfit for a job interview

In 2022 The Society of St James turns 50. From now till July next year we will be publishing 50 stories from SSJ – such as the incredible journey of Liam which was released last week. Let us know if you want to raise money for us in our jubilee year. Email Dennis.Jones@SSJ.org.uk

Here at SSJ we are extremely lucky to be supported by so many socially minded local businesses and included in this are the wonderful team at the Southampton offices of transatlantic law firm, Womble Bond Dickinson.

Last year the team raised a significant amount of money, matched by funding from the organisation’s trust, to ensure that our service users received some Christmas cheer.

This month; the team came to our rescue by offering to work on a commercial lease on a pro bono basis relating to the purchase of a light industrial unit and associated office space.

This purchase will allow us to provide a more efficient maintenance and repair service for our vulnerable residents.

We are very grateful to the staff at Womble Bond Dickinson who have taken the time to support the important work that The Society of St James does to prevent homelessness.

Jonathan Hobbs, a real estate partner with WBD said: “It has been a pleasure working with and providing support to the Society of St James. Everyone at the Southampton office really got stuck in raising funds for the Society of St James last Christmas, and it has been excellent to be able to provide some pro bono work for them too.

“It is important for us as a firm to do what we can, so it has been rewarding for us to be able to offer something back to the Society of St James, as an important charity for our community.”

World Homeless Day

October 10th is World Homeless Day and we are raising money to support the vulnerable individuals we work with to move forward, for example by bridging a rental gap when they first start working; or buying a suit for their first interview; or costs for securing necessary identification or even essential white goods when they move off the street and into accommodation.

As little as £15 could buy identification – click here to help.

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

Last night, and quite rightly, the country came together to share their appreciation for the incredible work done by NHS staff members during the outbreak of Covid-19. We know how important care work is – especially in times like today.

At SSJ we have hundreds of members of staff working on the frontline, including those at St James Care, the Homeless Day Service, our Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services, and at our centres across Hampshire. We have always known that we have a fantastic team of support and care workers in Hampshire and we are incredibly proud to know that they are helping provide our service users with the very best in care and support during these times.

Each and every one of these key workers are heading to work each day to help care for and support the most vulnerable in society – from those who have spent years on the streets, to others who suffer from illnesses which means they could be greatly affected by Covid-19. Not once have they looked back – their focus has been entirely on protecting those who have already suffered so greatly in their lives.

When we were clapping for NHS staff members, we were also sending a round of applause to our staff members at SSJ – for the incredible work they do. Their hard work, selflessness, and determination to make sure our service users are looked after shows what a credit they are to our organisation.

We are sure you will want to send a message of thanks to them too.

We believe our partnerships have to be mutually beneficial providing funding, support and a raised profile for the charity; and for the corporate, an opportunity to build the brand, good public relations and the chance to really make a difference to help vulnerable adults turn their lives around.

We have been approached by no less than 15 local businesses since the start of the year offering their support to those with a history of homelessness – “this is just amazing and demonstrates the passion that local businesses have for supporting what is a very visible and current issue” says SSJ’s Business Development Manager, Michelle Jeffery.

The Society of St James has a lot of properties that need regular refurbishment and local businesses can save the charity up to £1,000 a day by providing a team of workers to do some decorating or gardening work. Some of them even come with money they have raised to purchase the materials required to complete the job.

Those taking part have a lot of fun but with the knowledge that they are making the lives of vulnerable adults just that little bit more tolerable. One participant from a large financial institution said “thank you so much for organising the day, we had lots of fun as a team and came away feeling like we had accomplished something”.

We love working with our corporate partners, those that turn up on the day give so much of themselves and really commit to doing a good job. Stewart, our Project Manager says “working with the corporate volunteers is great; they are always so willing to get stuck in and get the job done”.

Recently we were approached by local provider of technology solutions and services, SoftCat, to ask what they could do to help support those with a history of homelessness. They have committed to providing a team every quarter to support our maintenance work which is wonderful. Their first project was to transform a garden at one of the houses that supports those who are homeless and have alcohol dependency. The team were delighted when one of the residents decided he wanted to get involved and work with them on the garden.

Of course Corporate Partners can support the work that we do in other ways. When we were selected by colleagues at the Southern Co-op‘s Head Office in Portsmouth at the end of last year we had no idea what an exciting partnership lay ahead. They demonstrated the level of their commitment immediately by throwing the full weight of their marketing and PR resource behind our Pay It Forward initiative that has been so successful.

Since then they have been involved in so many parts of our business including looking at training opportunities, purchasing and property and most recently became our lead sponsor for our Sleep Out event in November. “It just takes a little time and commitment on both sides to have those initial creative thinking meetings to explore how we can help each other” says Michelle Jeffery Business Development Manager.

And the benefit of having the Southern Co-op on hand is an obvious one for Annette Davolls, Cafe in the Park Service Manager, she said: “there is barely a day goes by when there isn’t some correspondence with a part of the Southern Co-op Head Office team whether it’s to tell us about money that has been raised, throw in a new idea, offer some more resource or donations of products.”

Annette continued: “The most wonderful part has been to see the interaction between the vulnerable adults we work with and the colleagues from Southern Co-op and to see what a positive impact this is having on the self-esteem of our service users.”