60 years on Caritas Anchor House becomes Your Place

Your Place, a homelessness charity in Newham, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. This is a significant milestone for an organisation that has been working towards providing support and resources to individuals who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless.

Until recently, Your Place was known as Caritas Anchor House. Over the years they have evolved from an east London charity with a specific maritime mission – providing temporary accommodation to out-of-work seafarers coming in and out of the nearby docks - into a growing organisation with an ambitious, far-reaching purpose: to solve homelessness, one person at a time.

Now, Your Place supports over 200 people every day. There, a person experiencing homelessness can get specialist help to feel supported on their journey.

They can heal their trauma, address their physical and mental health concerns, access financial help, education and job opportunities and a support network, and build the confidence, skills and self-belief to get to a better place.

Your Place has also been an advocate for the rights of those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, working to raise awareness of the challenges and campaigning for policy changes.

To get involved in making a difference to people without a safe place to call home in the community, visit www.your-place.org.uk eight-month pilot phase, which aims to ensure that the concept for the Network is robust and fit for purpose.

That initial phase saw several fruitful collaborations, including the University of East London and The Factory Project teaming up to stage an event showcasing UEL’s Creative Industries courses. The connection meant that this event, ordinarily held outside of the Borough, not only brought together two exciting organisations, but also spotlighted a new cultural venue in the Royal Docks to people nationally and locally.

“The Royal Docks is such a diverse, young community with a very particular mix of geography and residential communities and organisations,” says Alex Jamieson. “This makes it a unique and attractive neighbourhood that I don’t think you can really experience anywhere else in London.”

He is passionate about what the future holds for the Network and is keen for people and organisations to be part of its creative journey:

“There are so many interesting things to unpick and explore in exciting ways. We really encourage people to come and join us in the Network. The Docks has a really exciting future and we’d love to build it together!”

The People and Stories section of the Royal Docks website (www.royaldocks. london) has full information on the Royal Docks Creative Network, including sign up links for those individuals and organisations who want to be part of the initiative, and details of the Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Strategy.