Annual ownership Review 2010
Annual Review 2010
Mission
Vision
The end of street homelessness through programmes of prevention, intervention and reintegration, together with the opportunity for all vulnerable people in crisis to access appropriate services.
To provide an effective and relevant range of services to homeless people and those who are at risk of homelessness in central London. Services which promote engagement and change, services which meet physical and emotional needs and which clearly encourage and deliver solutions.
Contents Annual Review 2010
Introduction
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Our Services
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Review of the Year
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Who We Work With
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Day Centre
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Case Study – John-Paul’s Story
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Advice and Housing
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Outreach
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Night Centre
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Case Study – Matthew’s Story
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Workspace
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Case Study – Dickson’s Story
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Volunteers
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Case Study – Nigel’s Story
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Corporate Support
32
Charitable Trusts
34
Income and Expenditure
36
Thank you
39
Board, Directors and Supporters
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Introduction Dame Diana Brittan, Chair Colin Glover, Chief Executive
It has been another eventful and busy year for The Connection at St Martin’s with ever increasing demand for the services we provide. This is hardly surprising given that the financial uncertainty we’re facing is having an impact on every one of us. Increasing levels of unemployment and restrictions on benefits are not helping some of the more vulnerable people in society to keep a roof over their heads. Homelessness is more complex than merely not having a home. This is often only part of the equation: broader, social structural issues are likely to play a role in aggravating the problem and sending more people into crisis. It’s also been a significant year marked by a change in Government. The Government’s driving ambition to achieve a Big Society may positively impact on our work. It may help to bring power and responsibility to individuals on a local level so that they can influence and shape the society we live in. These are the aspirations by which The Connection at St Martin’s already operates.
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However, with cuts in public funding we face challenges over the next few years and need the resources to be able to continue delivering quality services, which get people off the streets for good. We hope the Big Society works effectively and if it succeeds we can work together to build stronger communities which help vulnerable people. The Big Society is not however an excuse for relying on charities like ourselves to pick up the pieces of a ‘broken’ society and for public expenditure cuts without the support needed to meet extra demand. This annual review’s theme of client ownership reflects our continued investment in homeless people. We are increasingly involving clients in everything we do, giving them the power to change their own circumstances. We wouldn’t be able to achieve all we do without our dedicated supporters, so thank you to everyone who has given their time and helped financially to support The Connection at St Martin’s during the year. We hope we can look to you for your continued and essential support in the year ahead.
Our Services
Street Outreach Helping rough sleepers on the street. Night Centre Respite from the street for up to 40 people per night. Day Centre • Café • Laundry • Lockers • Showers • Post collection • Computers/email/internet • GP and Nurse • Podiatrist • Reflexology • Acupuncture • Legal advice Engagement Activities/Groups • Art • Singing • Chess • Drama • Football • Oral History group • Women’s group • Rough Sleepers group • Black & Minority Ethnic group • Substance Misuse group • Creative Writing group
• H omeless Education group • Walking group • Day trips and residential weekends away Specialist Support and Advice • Alcohol • Substance misuse • Gambling • Mental health issues • Assistance accessing statutory services, welfare benefits & advice • Assistance with emergency accommodation, hostel referrals and housing Employment and Training • IT training and basic skills training • Careers and vocational guidance • Job search support including help with preparation for interviews • CV workshops • Organising work placements • English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses • Post-employment support
St Martin’s House 16 bed medium stay supported housing project User involvement A programme of discussions and groups where clients are encouraged to become part of the decision making processes about themselves in relation to the services we provide, with a view to resolving the issues that determine their homelessness. Volunteer Programme • Individual volunteering – service delivery/activity group volunteering • Corporate/employee volunteering • Full training programme and support • Fundraising opportunities
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Review of the Year This introduces some of the changes we’ve implemented over the year, including some of the challenges we’ve faced, but also the highlights. High levels of activity have meant more pressure on our centre, resources and staff. We have not only experienced an increase in demand for what we offer, but have reviewed our services in line with our core mission to help end street homelessness. How are we doing it? This is where this year’s annual review’s theme of ownership and increasing user participation takes centre stage. Over the last year we’ve been further enhancing and developing a new and an innovative range of services focused on involving and engaging homeless people. Giving people ownership and a degree of control over their circumstances is proven to build confidence, self esteem and to empower people to take responsibility for their lives, which is a major catalyst for change - helping people move away from life on the streets. This is only part of the story. We’re also doing more to meet each client’s individual needs. For example, we’re working on projects to engage an increasingly diverse range of people. This includes younger people between the ages of 16 – 25 years. People in this age group can sometimes lead particularly chaotic lives even in the most settled of circumstances, so 4
it’s very important that we respond to their needs. By working with them, we instill a sense of self worth and of responsibility, not dependency which is very important at this time in the lives of younger people, especially those who look to us for assistance. We don’t adopt a “one size fits all” approach. We use different methods depending on the individual’s circumstances and we’re providing more interactive and creative services, for instance our newly established photography group. This workshop captures people’s imagination and gives them the freedom to experiment with a variety of different digital media. Our re-energised services are paying dividends and we’re seeing the difference it’s making to the lives of our clients. This is vital work and a cornerstone of our aim to eliminate rough sleeping on the streets of the capital.
Who We Work With
Gender
Age
Male (82%)
16 – 25 (22%)
Female (18%)
26 – 59 (70%) 60 and over (8%)
Ethnicity
Origin
Asian (4%)
London (30%)
Black African / Caribbean (22%)
UK outside London (30%)
Irish (4%)
Outside UK [Europe] (22%)
Chinese (0.5%)
Outside UK [non-Europe] (18%)
Mixed (3%) Other (2.5%) White UK (40%) White other (24%)
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Day Centre The day centre is home to our unique range of services and helps homeless people every day, 7 days a week.
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Previous page: We have a dedicated in-house NHS team to ensure our clients’ health needs are met.
The centre offers practical facilities including a laundry, GP/nurse healthcare service and a café serving inexpensive, nutritious meals. ACTIVITY GROUPS Our day centre provides a wide variety of activity groups. Over the year we’ve developed more creative and innovative workshops which appeal to a wider and more diverse audience. By capturing people’s interest we aim to increase participation, which in turn empowers our clients and helps with their personal development. Some, like the Real Rough Guide have even been shaped almost entirely by homeless people themselves. People sometimes ask how we measure the impact these groups have on clients’ behaviour. This is difficult to quantify, but we have launched a new and innovative tool which will, for the first time, enable us to monitor the impact of our support on people’s well-being and development. This new ‘Client Change Assessment’ tool is currently being piloted in Artspace, our art group, and clients that consent will be able to self-assess their progress.
The programme will help record changes in client behaviour over a number of sessions. A range of criteria will be used to help measure this, but it will take into account attendance, engagement in the sessions and building relationships with others. The value of this new tool is that it will help us to identify patterns of behaviour in clients which may be preventing them from moving forward and give us an opportunity to challenge them. It will also flag up any systemic barriers faced by clients and allow the workers to advocate on their behalf helping them move forward. Implementing this tool is a significant achievement and has not been easy to
Day Centre • Over the last year 5,325 people visited our day centre • On average we receive 200 visitors a day
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Day Centre
approach systematically because our clients can lead chaotic lives and may not regularly attend our workshops. Artspace This group embraces creativity and promotes art as an open form of expression which is known for its therapeutic benefits. These sessions are user led and few boundaries exist; people are free to experiment with different materials and work independently on their own projects, with support when they need it. It’s a very popular group, every year two exhibitions are held, one private view at our centre and one public show, both of which are organised with input from our homeless artists.
Day Centre • 2,519 clients have been reconnected to their home area or referred to other appropriate services
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In 2010 their work was exhibited at The Crypt Gallery at St Martin-in-theFields which gave clients the chance to display and sell their artwork, talk to a wide range of people and receive different perspectives and input on the work they do. The exhibition was a resounding success with clients selling over 40 pieces of work. Real Rough Guide This group has developed a walking tour across London inspired by homelessness, which combines historical and present day facts about rough sleeping. Once launched, it’s hoped the group will be conducted with homeless people who will provide a personal account of what life on the streets is like. This project will provide rewarding opportunities for homeless people to get actively involved and build their confidence. Women’s Group There are far fewer homeless women than men. This group was developed in response to this disparity and to meet the specific needs of homeless women which gives them a chance to discuss female related issues in an informal and supportive environment.
Our creative workshops equip homeless people with new skills and build confidence so that they are able to achieve their potential.
Women attending this group can also make new friends, watch films and participate in quizzes or other activities they request themselves. Touch Base This group was launched in April to appeal specifically to younger people who have an interest in new media. The group is creating a website which provides advice to young people facing homelessness. It provides bite-sized accredited IT training so that younger people can build their own website and manage content. Working towards a tangible end product can help motivate young people and be a more fulfilling and rewarding way to work.
techniques to bring together their work. Clients are using social media sites, blogs and Flickr to showcase their work and will be producing audio slideshows which will be used in the BBC Radio 4 St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas Appeal. Creative Writing What better way to express how you feel than through words? Each week the group explores themes and different styles of writing. It is an open forum encouraging everyone to contribute. Several members of the group have had their work featured in the Big Issue.
Photography This new group is giving clients the chance to experiment with photography, film and audio and learn different digital 9
Day Centre
Substance Misuse Our drug awareness project Headspace now reaches a broader client base aged 16 years and over and is proving very popular with a loyal following. The group provides people with all the facts on substance misuse and health related issues in an open yet confidential environment.
the group who attended the day centre and had problems with drugs and alcohol. Since December Headspace has provided an estimated 150 clients with Harm Reduction knowledge, signposted them to local drug/alcohol services and also encouraged them to access our other services including Advice & Housing for further assessment.
Topics covered include drug/alcohol dependency, overdosing and harm reduction and health issues like first aid. The sessions are delivered in a candid style and are user led - participants decide what content they’d like covered.
Client Feedback We’re doing more to find out what clients think of The Connection at St Martin’s. This feedback is critical and the responses are helping us adapt our services, so that they better meet the needs of our users.
The group is making good headway. Successful outcomes for the year include inducting 50 new clients into
Activity Groups • 484 people made 3,539 visits to our programme of activity groups
In April we undertook a survey to find out how the weekend services were benefiting homeless people, and whether service users had suggestions on how they could be improved. The results reveal that 88% of clients rely on the centre being open at weekends, and view it as a safe and warm place to access essential facilities and support. We’re also in the second year of the client survey with our partners at PwC and are hoping to undertake this annually. Its primary purpose is to find out from clients what they think of us and our services.
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Project Workers build a rapport with clients which improves communication, ensuring clients’ needs are met.
The results are critical and will help us shape and improve our services. New initiatives enhance communication between staff and clients. An email specifically for client comments has been introduced and, we hope this will give people the chance to express how they feel on a more immediate basis. This feedback mechanism gives people the choice to remain anonymous which will also encourage honesty.
By capturing people’s interest we aim to increase participation, which in turn empowers our clients and helps with their personal development.
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I am so much happier
John-Paul’s Story “Art is healing and a form of expression”
John-Paul had been living in his flat for nine years when he started to fall behind on his rent. He describes how it all seemed to happen very quickly: “I couldn’t keep up the repayments and received a court summons. I wasn’t very well at the time and it seemed impossible to sort the situation out, there didn’t seem to be anyone who could help me in person. One day I was returning from the supermarket and the bailiffs had blockaded my front door – I wasn’t allowed back into my home and never saw my personal possessions again.” After his flat was repossessed John-Paul was left with nothing and made homeless. For the next two years he slept rough on the streets of London and describes how desperate the situation was: “It was very isolating and lonely, I’d lost contact with my sister and had no one to turn to. I spent most days walking - it gave me something to do. It’s dangerous living on the streets so I was always looking for safe places to sleep and one time managed to get myself locked into the store room of a car park – a terrifying experience.”
Despite this ordeal John-Paul explains the importance of having a sense of humour. “Even when things got really tough I still managed to laugh about my situation.” When John Paul made contact with The Connection at St Martin’s he had very poor health and was malnourished. “I wasn’t in a good way but it was such a relief to eat hot, nutritious food and get help. I instantly joined the art group which was so therapeutic. It really helped me feel part of something, when I was homeless I lost the sense of belonging. I love working towards the art exhibitions, it helps motivate me.” The Connection at St Martin’s made it a priority to get John-Paul into accommodation and he’s now living in a hostel in London. He says: “Coming here has literally been a life saver, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done – I’m so much happier.”
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Advice & Housing The Advice & Housing team provides a crucial service which places a strong emphasis on preventing rough sleeping to two distinct groups of people. We work with people who are newly homeless and also people that may have returned to homelessness. Early intervention to get them housed means they don’t end up on the streets as rough sleepers which is why it is vital to reach them quickly. We work one-on-one with clients to examine what support they require so that they are put in touch with the right services. A significant part of this involves referring people to appropriate services or reconnecting newly arrived people back to their home area. Where possible we try to link clients back into services in their home area, so that they maintain local links.
Advice & Housing • 650 clients were supported to move into accommodation
Advice & Housing has continued to consolidate and strengthen relationships with specialist service providers such as Westminster Housing Options and the Joint Homeless Team. This partnership approach is having a positive impact on clients and as a result we’ve been able to move more people into accommodation, as well as referring them to mental health services. Achievements for the past year include being awarded the Community Legal Service (CLS) quality mark in June 2010, which demonstrates that we deliver quality advice services. Mental Health It’s widely acknowledged that homelessness can be associated with poor mental health. Research shows that a staggering 76% of people living on the streets or in hostels have some form of mental health problem. (Source: St Mungo’s) This explains why demand for our in-house provision is high. Every day we see clients who experience clinical conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, we are increasingly seeing people with non-clinical conditions such as personality disorders, reactive depression and anxiety.
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We work one-on-one with clients on a tailored action plan to help people into accommodation.
Our specialist team works with clients through a combination of group work sessions and befriending which build confidence. They work with individuals to restore relationships with friends and family, all of which provide people with the coping mechanisms to help them manage their symptoms. Counselling services are difficult to access for homeless and vulnerably housed people. We have recently introduced a new in-house counselling service which is provided by Westminster Primary Care Trust. This service offers weekly integrative
counselling to our clients for at least six months and up to a year. The mental health team has also extended their remit and is operating on weekly outreach shifts on the streets. This means that rough sleepers with mental health problems can be targeted on the street and assessed quickly to ensure that their needs are met.
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Outreach Street homeless people are likely to have experienced systematic and long-term exclusion for many years before ending up on the streets. Our team of nine Outreach Workers provide an immediate response to rough sleeping in Westminster. They do this by engaging with people on the street and by providing in-house, drop-in advice and ongoing casework to help people off the streets and into accommodation.
developing relationships with partner agencies, health and social care services, the police and the City of Westminster. Our proactive approach means that we are successfully moving people off the streets of London as quickly as possible.
The Outreach team is successfully managing the flow of new rough sleepers on the streets of Westminster by reconnecting them back to their place of origin. This may take the form of referring them to a specific service in their area, or providing the right level of support so that they can reconnect with family or friends.
As rough sleepers are one of the hardest groups to reach, and often do not access support until they are in crisis, it is essential that where possible, we bring the support to them. To this end, our Outreach team is regularly joined by specialists including nurses, chiropodists and the campaigning body Housing Justice.
The team is responsible for targeting rough sleepers by fostering and
During the year, we worked with partner agencies and the City of Westminster on the ‘205 initiative’. This initiative targeted 205 of the most entrenched rough sleepers in the capital to help achieve the Mayor of London’s promise to end rough sleeping by 2012.
Outreach • 1,178 people seen by the Outreach team over the last year • 75% of them successfully helped to move on
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This group were considered a priority because they ‘had been seen sleeping rough in five or more years out of the last 10’, and/or ‘been seen rough sleeping 50 times or more over that period’ (Source: CLG).
Our Outreach team make contact with homeless people on the streets of Westminster morning and night to encourage them to engage with our services.
These individuals were vulnerable, long term homeless and earlier attempts to help them had either been met with resistance to moving off the streets, or they had encountered difficulty engaging with service providers to make the transition into housing. We’re seeing results and outcomes to date look promising, with 160 former rough sleepers making the transition off the streets. Our work does not stop here. We’re now working closely with the remaining 45 out of the identified 205 who are still reported to be sleeping rough. Real Rough Sleepers Group This group is designed to engage the most entrenched rough sleepers who are finding it difficult to engage with other services in the day centre. The group meets once a week and provides
a space where clients can access basic facilities like the laundry and showers, to new experiences like a film screening. The group provides an element of routine, and with this comes familiarity, which encourages clients to participate and engage with staff in a relaxed setting Over the past year the group has worked with 32 people who have made 580 contacts and sustained this attendance over many weeks and months. This is a significant achievement. It illustrates that the group is successfully engaging rough sleepers, some of who are making contact with us for the first time. This group is a vital stepping stone for people off the streets and seven of our members have moved in to accommodation this year.
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Night Centre The Night Centre is literally a life line to our most vulnerable clients in Westminster providing essential short term accommodation.
It’s a unique service because it’s free to access and people can be directly referred without a waiting list, unlike some hostel accommodation.
Night Centre • Our Night Centre accommodates 40 people a night • Over the winter our Night Centre accommodated up to 100 people a night
The service provides accommodation and support for on average 40 vulnerable people every night, seven days a week. Crucially, it is also designed to help rough sleepers make the transition into more permanent accommodation. Services on offer include hot food, showers and laundry facilities and clients are referred to other services
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Our laundry operates at full capacity and does 3,000 washes a year. When you’re sleeping rough keeping people’s clothes clean is essential for health and well being.
including housing advice and specialist mental health. The demand for the Night Centre is always high but the service is particularly stretched during the colder winter months, when it’s even more essential to get people off the streets. Last winter was one of the coldest for decades with temperatures frequently plummeting below freezing accompanied by heavy snow. This type of weather is very hazardous for rough sleepers, with a very real risk of people dying on the streets. If temperatures are predicted to fall below zero for three consecutive nights we operate a Severe Weather Emergency Protection (SWEP) protocol and we work with partner agencies to get all homeless people indoors to prevent them from freezing to death on the streets.
The service provides accommodation and support for on average 40 vulnerable people every night, seven days a week.
During these adverse weather conditions we helped up to 120 people a night to come indoors out of the cold.
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Music is my life, life is my music
Day Centre
ownership
The theme of ownership has permeated right through to the creation of this year’s report. We have consulted with clients over the design and they have contributed visual art work towards the project. Some pieces of work here illustrate the theme of ownership which has helped to shape the overall design concept. 1
About the Art Work
This gallery showcases a selection of work by homeless people.We think you’ll agree, thanks to everyone that has contributed this work gives the annual review personality. The photographs were taken by clients from our photography workshop. The illustrations were created by clients from Artspace and explore what ownership means to them. Ben Richardson, Project Worker, runs the weekly photography workshop. Ben has provided clients with disposable cameras which has given homeless people the opportunity to take photos of London. Every week members of the group discuss their photos and have been exploring different digital media from blogs, short films and audio slideshows to brainstorm ways in which they can assemble and showcase their own work. Clients from the group are taking ownership of the project and will be creating their own audio slideshows. Some of the inspiring photos are illustrated here. We think you’ll agree, they provide a fascinating and different perspective of London. The photos and audio slideshows will be displayed on our website in December. www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk
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1 The QE Two Peter Graham Peter explains the meaning of his drawings to me each week in the art room. Some are completed there, others are delivered to me during the week. His drawings are very relevant to the theme of ownership. He describes that once a drawing is handed to me I become the new owner. When his drawings are passed on, for instance to visitors at one of our art shows, ownership of the work is also passed on. – Wyn Newman, User Involvement and Development Manager 3
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2 Untitled Anonymous
4 Street Juggler Anonymous
3 Homeless Rough Sleeper Anonymous
“This photo is symbolic of ownership. Once the juggling balls leave his hand he no longer owns them. You can’t hold anything in your hand forever therefore ownership is temporary.”
“It is heartwarming that the sun could rise on something so daunting, and something that seems so remote. It’s beautiful, the rays of sunlight shining down from above.”
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5 Untitled Anonymous
6 Untitled Anonymous
A drawing by an artist to illustrate ownership and its relationship to materialism.
This photo shows people at a soup run. It is taken with sensitivity so their identity is not revealed. – Ben Richardson, Project Worker 7 Untitled Anonymous This rucksack belonged to the photographer when he was homeless. This photo is symbolic, now that he’s in a hostel the rucksack is no longer needed. – Ben Richardson, Project Worker 5
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8 Untitled Anonymous
10 Untitled Anonymous
9 Untitled Anonymous
“This has dignity stamped on it. He’s been stripped of his materialism but his dignity shines through even though he’s homeless. He has survived it all.”
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11 Untitled Anonymous
12 Untitled Anonymous
“This must be what it’s like for immigrants waiting to get in. It’s symbolic of the barrier they face.”
The client that took this photo sees colour very clearly and has an eye for design. – Ben Richardson, Project Worker 13 Untitled Anonymous
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14 Untitled Anonymous
Three acrylic paintings by one of our artists from Artspace.
More artwork can be viewed on the Artspace Facebook page www.facebook.com/ homelessart Search for our Creative Writing group on Facebook The photographs can be viewed on Flickr www.flickr.com/groups/ homelessphotography
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Matthew’s Story “I started living on a friend’s floor and went through a phase of couch surfing but could only do this for so long and I ended up sleeping in a shed” Matthew went through a difficult time growing up, including his dad dying. Despite this hardship he was determined to succeed, he says: “I got a job at a fruit and veg stall and rented a bedsit. I had money to look after myself and things were going pretty well. But then the building I was living in burnt down - with all my stuff in it. I stayed at my boss’s place for a while but he couldn’t afford to keep me on at work and I had to leave. I started living on a friend’s floor and went through a phase of couch surfing but could only do this for so long and I ended up sleeping in a shed.” The situation went from bad to worse and Matthew ended up homeless and slept on the streets for over 2 years. He describes what it was like: “I had very few belongings, just a bag and moved around a lot. The hardest things for me were not sleeping, having very little to eat and not having anything to do. The only thing that got me through was making music, it’s my passion.” When Matthew made contact with Workspace, our Employment & Training programme, they realised Matthew’s potential and helped him enrol on a Music Production course. Matthew says: “I like to keep busy and it was great to be able to concentrate on making music, I produce lots of music from Drum n’ Bass to Trance.”
Our Outreach team helped Matthew find accommodation and he initially settled into the hostel well. However, he began having trouble with his benefits and had difficulty attending appointments. It was at this stage he was diagnosed as having dyslexia. Matthew says: “This was really important to me. It helped explain why I was struggling with certain areas of my life and now I have the right support.” Matthew’s determination to get his life back on track has prevented him from sleeping rough again. Since he has been diagnosed he has had his benefits reinstated and is settled into the hostel. He’s become very involved in the services at The Connection at St Martin’s and has joined the Real Rough Guide as a tour guide. He says: “Everyone at The Connection at St Martin’s listened to me which made such a difference. I’m in a much better place. My dad always said to me ‘never let your chin drop below the water’ and I’ve stuck to that advice.” Matthew has lots to look forward to and has organised a meeting with the record company EMI to discuss his music and a possible record deal.
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Workspace Our Workspace service provides clients with essential employment and training skills helping them take control of their lives and move forward to find jobs. Our Workspace service provides clients with essential employment and training skills helping them take control of their lives and move forward to find jobs. We understand the importance work has in creating a sense of purpose and building self esteem. It is often very difficult for homeless people to find work as they are caught up in a Catch 22 situation – without a home how do you go about trying to find a job? We do everything we can to break this vicious circle and to empower clients so that they share responsibility for their future. Our dynamic Workspace team provides one-to-one support to individuals to help them reach their full potential.
Work Space • 1,205 people have accessed training and employment support • 80 people into employment • 222 people into in-house training • 12 people completed work trials at local companies
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They do this by providing work experience with our corporate partners, giving them interview practice and providing relevant training. We currently provide accredited CLAIT IT courses but will soon adopt the European Computer Driving Licence qualification which is more widely recognised. All of these opportunities foster confidence, promote self-reliance and, crucially, give hope for real and lasting change. The good news is that it’s working – we’re proud of having worked with 1,205 people over the last year to improve their employability. This has included enrolling 353 people in to internal and external training programmes which help people acquire new skills. We’ve helped 80 people into employment which is impressive given the current competitive job market and 12 people into work trials which better prepares people for future employment opportunities. Over the course of the year we’ve tailored our services so they’re focused on active participation and interaction. We’re also constantly pushing the parameters to develop and provide new and innovative services for the benefit of our users.
Our IT facility gives clients the opportunity to develop CVs, search for jobs and take IT training.
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Workspace
Our dynamic Workspace team provides oneto-one support to individuals to help them reach their potential.
Work Space • 61 qualifications gained • 131 people have been referred to external training • 759 people have undertaken career development including interview skills, job searches and developing CVs
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Our approach is focused on listening and working with clients, rather than taking the ‘parental role’ of believing we know what’s best for them. EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAMME Through Workspace, we help vulnerable people to develop both the vocational and ‘soft’ skills that are so vital to being able to survive in the workplace and offer ongoing one-to-one guidance and advice to help people enter training and employment. We also continue to provide ongoing support during their new employment, if needed, to make sure people have the best chance of making a success of their new life. A drop-in service helps clients to find out about the latest job opportunities and get advice and help with CVs, job applications and interview skills. Careers Advisors help clients to explore their options and plan their next steps in terms of further education or career goals. Each client has an individual learning plan. We help clients search for jobs on the Internet and run sessions to improve communication skills and other aspects of self-presentation, which are so important in any recruitment and selection process.
We’re strengthening our existing relationships with our corporate partners, each of which provide invaluable support and resources to our clients, and we’re building new links with local companies. We’ve been working in partnership with them to offer workshops which help our clients redevelop their CVs and improve their interview skills. These sessions help to motivate our clients and give them an employer’s perspective on the working world.
opportunities sometimes lead to full time employment– read Dickson’s story to see how his work experience with John Lewis helped him re-build his life.
Workplace Trials Some of our clients have limited or no experience of getting or holding down a job. Our corporate partners are continuing to provide opportunities for workplace trials, which boost self esteem and encourage responsibility. This year we have provided 25 people with workplace trials and these 25
I’ve settled in so well
Dickson’s Story “My favourite part of the job is working with people”
Dickson is a refugee from Rwanda and although being a skilled welder he could not find work. With no job he ended up sleeping rough on the streets of London. When Dickson first made contact with The Connection at St Martin’s he was referred to our Workspace service. They realised that Dickson had very good people skills so helped him develop a CV tailored to Customer Service roles to maximise his employment opportunities.
Dickson’s colleagues described this achievement as outstanding and John Lewis offered him a permanent position in their store. He has now been working there for over a year. Dickson says: “I’ve settled in so well. My favourite part of the job is working with my team and helping customers. I’ve also made a lot of friends here.”
Before long, John Lewis, one of The Connection at St Martin’s corporate supporters, offered Dickson a workplace trial in the Menswear department of its flagship store on Oxford Street. His work trial commenced and, two weeks later, Dickson had enamoured himself so well with his colleagues, that he was offered a paid extension to work over the busy Christmas period. Dickson says: “I really enjoy working there and in my first two weeks I received three customer appreciations (positive feedback) from satisfied customers which was a real boost to my self esteem.”
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Volunteers Our volunteer programme is celebrating another year of success in terms of hours of donated time and volunteer recruitment.
We are in the enviable position of having more people coming to us wanting to volunteer than positions available. We also retain our volunteer workforce for much longer than the national average.
Volunteers devoted over 15,000 hours last year which translates into more activities, more direct client focused work and more basic survival needs being met on a daily basis.
Over 50% of our volunteers have now been with The Connection at St Martin’s for more than two years and we recruit volunteers with no external advertising – so the experience of volunteering here is going a long way to meeting the needs of homeless people, while fulfilling our volunteers’ expectations at the same time.
Over the last year we are privileged to have received help from almost 500 people and we welcome the wealth of skills, experience and diversity our volunteers bring to the work of the charity. This valuable personal resource enables more of our clients to receive the individual attention that can be life enhancing and brighten their day
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Our volunteers have dedicated 15,000 hours to homeless people over the last year.
Corporate volunteers are still providing strong support in our Catering and Workspace teams. As well as contributing much needed funds, they also provide their time, for example, by organising activities such as museum outings or bowling which are hugely appreciated by clients. The Department of Work and Pensions has joined the ranks of John Lewis, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Man Group, Pinsent Masons, Marshall Wace, Radisson Edwardian Hotels, STASCO and others in releasing their employees on company time to carry out much needed hands on volunteer work in our Day Centre.
volunteering capacity. Your support goes a long way to help those who need it most.
We thank every person who has or is currently giving their time to The Connection at St Martin’s in a
Volunteers
Corporate (61%) Other (12%) Personal (27%)
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I find it very fulfilling
Nigel’s Story “I find volunteering here hugely enjoyable”
Nigel has been volunteering since February and comes in every Thursday to help the Workspace team. Since he began volunteering his role has evolved and he now works one-to-one with clients to improve their computer skills.
When asked why Nigel started volunteering at The Connection at St Martin’s he says: “I’m retired and found the transition very difficult. I went from having a fast paced and busy life to lots of free time.
Nigel says: “People I work with often have limited IT knowledge so I help them develop CVs, set up an email account or search for jobs. It’s hugely enjoyable and incredibly satisfying – clients leave delighted because by the end of a productive morning they have something tangible which is very motivating.”
My day lacked the regular rhythm and structure I’m used to. I looked into volunteering here because I’m interested in the social issues and have worked with charities before in my job. I find it incredibly fulfilling meeting so many different people and unlike work I now really look forward to volunteering here on Thursdays!”
“The Workspace team have been very welcoming and I feel part of the team. I really enjoy getting to know clients and building a rapport with them. I’ve surprised myself just how much I get out of it and I’m enjoying it more and more. I work a lot with Eastern Europeans and speak some Hungarian which can help if there are translation difficulties.” “So many of the clients I see are very capable and intelligent, they’ve just been put off course. I find it very rewarding helping people get back on their feet into jobs. It can also be tough managing people’s expectations and being realistic about their work prospects.”
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Corporate Support Our corporate partners provide vital support in a variety of diverse ways which enhances our services and creates more opportunities for homeless people.
We are extremely fortunate to receive active support from over 40 companies. In 2009/10 they dedicated thousands of hours of their time and provided over £160,000 of financial support to homeless people at The Connection at St Martin’s, as well as raising awareness of the charity and our vital work amongst the public. Companies work with The Connection at St Martin’s in a wide range of different ways and with various levels of commitment – from offering a couple of staff hours a week to organising one-off events, or committing to fundraising for a whole year. They provide crucial financial support including corporate donations, staff fundraising and payroll giving, and also bring a wealth of skills and expertise, from volunteering in the kitchen to offering CV workshops, interview practice and workplace trials. 32
Their support is generous, and companies have been instrumental in helping us fundraise, often in very original ways. In Summer 2010, six colleagues from Shell International undertook the Enduroman Arch to Arc relay - the most enduring and gruelling of triathlons - which involved running from London to Dover, swimming The Channel and cycling to Paris. They not only beat the World Record by two and a half hours, but raised over £7,000 for The Connection at St Martin’s – an amazing achievement. As well as volunteering in our busy cafeteria, and delivering interview skills workshops, Man Group plc Charitable Trust has also pledged financial support over the next three years to our Workspace programme, enabling us to provide key employment and training opportunities to our clients.
A selection of photos from our corporate supporters. Left to right: Shell International taking part in the gruelling Enduroman challenge, Reed Elsevier soft ball tournament with staff and clients and Macfarlanes’ sensational cabaret night.
This kind of long-term commitment allows us to plan ahead for future projects, ensuring we always offer the most effective services. Macfarlanes nominated The Connection at St Martin’s as their Charity of the Year. Staff have thrown themselves into fundraising, and organised a diverse range of events, from running in the British 10K and the London Marathon, to a Cabaret Night! Altogether they have raised over £40,000. At Christmas, Macfarlanes’ staff generously donated presents to the centre for our clients. They plan to carry forward the relationship beyond 2010 by continuing to volunteer within Workspace.
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Charitable Trusts We greatly appreciate the commitment and generosity of the many charitable trusts and foundations that supported The Connection in 2009-10. We are hugely reliant on this support. Unlike housing providers, we do not generate significant income from hostel revenues and do not have access to regular designated government funding streams.
The group is creating a website, launching in March 2011, which will be an educational resource for other young people, warning them about the risks of sleeping rough in London and signposting them to relevant services.
Last year, almost a third of our fundraised income came from charitable trusts and foundations, made up of large grants and small donations, towards both core and project costs. All are absolutely vital to the continuation of our work with homeless people.
Crucially, the project also provides bitesized accredited IT training, which as well as helping the young people build their website and gain a qualification, acts as a bridge to our more formal training and employment service, Workspace, where they are able to pursue further training, update their CVs or look for work.
We often work closely with our trust partners to develop projects and work towards a common vision. One recent example of this was a joint project developed in partnership with The Progress Foundation, who awarded a three-year grant towards a new initiative aimed at young people facing homelessness. Launched in April this year, Touch Base is a new weekly group aimed exclusively at 16-25 year olds using our services. Younger homeless people can be a hard group to reach, and many of the current participants were not involved in any kind of productive or learning activities prior to joining the group.
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The Touch Base workshops are largely led by the young people themselves with support from staff and volunteers. They are hoping to build an exciting and engaging site with a serious message, using a range of media, from blogs and social networking sites to short serialised films. This project has been a real catalyst for change for many of the 26 participants to date, encouraging them to reflect on and address issues that led to their situation, and think more positively about their future.
A photo story produced by young homeless people from our Touch Base project is an example of the creative brain storming process they used to produce a website.
OF E N O U GH I ’VE HAD GON NA GO . CE HTS THIS PLA RIGHT LIG TO THE B NDON OF LO
IFE A N EW L OH YES, N O D N IN LO
SE OU PLEA T ME TO GET RE I CAN One 17 year old, who had been reported ? P EL
d as create w y r to s to phoand hisfamily as a missing person byThis eople had been running away since the ageeless young p om bytohengage of 14, had previously refused ct. with Advice Workers. Despite initial design proje b e w r u m o a part reluctance, he enjoyed frobeing ... re inside of Touch Base and started attending o m d a e R regularly with real focus. He gradually
EARTH opened upIto Advice Workers, started HOW ON HELL AM E H T UP LIKE T D A N WH attending DID I E O DO ? counselling, and eventually T G IN IS O G TH ?
decided that he wanted to return home. He has since visited The Connection to say thank you and to let us know that he is now more settled and happier. He is attending a new college course and has plans to go to university in the future. We are very grateful for the ongoing support of The Progress Foundation in enabling this work to take place.
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Income and Expenditure We only spend a very small proportion of our income on fundraising activity. This means 94% of our income is invested directly into our services for homeless people. The Summary Financial Information, on the following pages, shows income raised with a breakdown of what is generated directly through fundraising activities. The expenditure graph is further analysed to illustrate how resources are expended across our different spheres of work. We are glad to say that, in the year to 31st March 2010, we were able to secure more than enough income to meet our budgeted commitments. Whereas the figures below illustrate an excess of expenditure over income in the region of £198,000, this was met by a transfer from designated reserves, which had been agreed at the beginning of the year as part of our financial planning. It remains our objective to secure income from as broad a spectrum of funding streams as possible and to pursue new avenues whenever they become available. Part of the incoming resources raised during the course of this year was over £90,000 from our first – and very successful – fundraising dinner. This helped us to secure 46% of our funding from non-statutory sources. The information given is taken from the full audited accounts with an unqualified opinion from Aspens Limited. To gain a full understanding of the financial affairs of the charity, the audited statements, Board and Auditor’s reports are available from The Connection at St Martin’s. More details can also be found at – www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk and www.charity-commission.gov.uk.
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Income 2009-10 £4,190,656
Main income Statutory Grants (39%) Interest (0.1%) Trading (5%)
Income
Housing (2.9%) Fundraised (38%) Statutory Contracts (15%)
£1,653,657 £4,548 £218,076 £89,176 £1,600,709 £624,490
Fundraised Income £1,600,709
Fundraised Income A G F E
B D
C
a
Corporate (10%)
£164,061
b
Trusts (32%)
£510,936
c
Individuals (13%)
£207,565
d
Events (10%)
£156,669
e
Friends of CSTM (7%)
£102,419
f
Legacies (6%)
£94,059
g BBC Radio 4 St Martin’s
Christmas Appeal (23%)
£365,000
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Income and Expenditure Expenditure 2009-10 £4,389,043
Main Expenditure Direct Charitable (94%) Fundraising (5%)
Expenditure
Events (0.8%) Governance (0.2%)
B
Direct Charitable
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£41,510 £7,000
a
Advice (11%)
£446,612
b
Outreach and Building Based Services (13%)
£517,290
Education, Training and Employment (22%)
£896,812
d
Housing and Resettlement (4%)
£183,527
e
Day and Night Centres (50%)
c
C
D
£235,230
Expenditure – Direct Charitable £4,105,303
A
E
£4,105,303
£2,061,062
Thank you A diverse range of organisations and agencies have supported our work this year. Thank you for your substantial contribution. - A D Power Will Trust
- Garfield Weston Foundation
- Reed Elsevier
- Ablestoke Consulting
- Golden Bottle Trust
- Richard Radcliffe Trust
- Acona
- Grange Farm Centre Trust
- Scouloudi Foundation
- Albert Reckitt Charitable Trust
- Grosvenor Limited
- Sheila Hind Charitable Trust
- Haberdashers’ Company Charitable Foundation
- Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (STASCO)
- Alex and William De Winton Trust - Allied Irish Bank (GB) - Anglo American Group Foundation - Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust - Barbara Welby Trust - Beatrice Laing Trust - Belmont Ensemble of London - Blyth Watson Charitable Trust - Brown-Forman - Central London NextSteps - Chiron Trust, Essex Community Foundation - City of Westminster - Constance Green Foundation - Credit Suisse - Crisis Skills 4 Jobs Department of Work and Pensions - Dolphin Square Foundation - Donald Forrester Trust - Dr Mortimer & Theresa Sackler Foundation - Drapers’ Charitable Fund - EBM Charitable Trust - Evan Cornish Foundation - French Huguenot Church of London Charitable Trust
- Happy Charitable Trust - Henry Smith Charity
- Shell UK Ltd
- Inman Charity
- Simply Flowers
- Irish Emigrant Support Programme
- Smith & Nephew - Sobell Foundation
- Jagclif Charitable Trust
- St John Southworth Fund
- Ladbrokes Charitable Trust
- Stichting Benevolentia (Porticus UK)
- Land Securities plc - London Borough of Wandsworth - London Councils
- StreetSmart - Tail Wind Advisory & Management Ltd
- London Development Agency
- The Body Shop Foundation
- Macfarlanes LLP
- The Waldorf Hilton
- Man Group plc Charitable Trust
- Three Oaks Trust
- Marsh Christian Trust
- Tolkien Trust
- Marshall Wace LLP
- Walker Crisps Stockbrokers Ltd
- Mercers’ Charitable Foundation - Monmouth Coffee Company - Mrs L D Rope’s Third Charitable Settlement - Office of the Third Sector (Hardship Fund)
- Tokyo Diner
- Weldon UK Charitable Trust - Westminster Amalgamated Charity - Westminster Foundation - Westminster Primary Care Trust
- Pinsent Masons
- White Benevolent Fund
- Penguin Group
- Worshipful Company of Carpenters
- PricewaterhouseCoopers - Progress Foundation - Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy - Rayne Foundation
- Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers - Zurich Cares Committee 39
Board, Directors and Supporters
Board of Trustees Dame Diana Brittan (Chair) Lady Jane Reid (Vice Chair) Ian Watson (Treasurer) Rod Beadles (appointed: 13/7/2010) Peter Brown (appointed: 12/10/2010) Jeff Claxton The Reverend Nicholas Holtam Councillor Louise Hyams Jean Innes (resigned: 7/9/2010) Gay Longworth Jonathan Martyr David Obrart Canon Robert Wright Jenny Williams Directors Chief Executive Colin Glover Director of Services Mick Baker Director of Finance Hugo Lane Director of Fundraising and PR Kath Lee Head of Human Resources Julia Porter
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We are Supported by
12 Adelaide Street London WC2N 4HW telephone 020 7766 5555 fax 020 7930 9194 email appeals@cstm.org.uk web www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk registered charity number 1078201 company registration 3852519 Join our community
Design by Sugarfree • www.sugarfreedesign.co.uk Photography by Bill Knight • www.knightsight.co.uk and Paul Barshon • www.paulbarshon.com