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1 Why do we serve for free? A successful National Volunteer Day Two Steps progress
reCord YeAr SteVen getS more thAn JuSt houSing AYo JoinS the teAm dorAS triCkY SituAtion
trend of subcontracting social welfare services to charities increases, the charities involved risk losing their independence and get tied up by conditions of funding that limit them. organisations that were once motivated to help the homeless, risk placing the needs of their funders, and their own needs for funding, before the needs of those they were set up to help. At hope worldwide uk, we also receive some funding from local government, which we welcome, but we are committed to continue to allow access to our services to anybody we can help. We are able to retain this stance because of the tremendous support we receive from the many private donors that give to our work. We want to highlight two sources of this funding for particular thanks. Many benefits from baskets ever since our work was established by the London Church of Christ in 1993, we have enjoyed tremendous support from basket collections in the churches associated with it. Churches throughout the uk have taken weekly collections for our work in their Sunday services that have provided essential funds, enabling us to act independently of the contraints detailed above. this means we are free to continue helping everybody that comes to us irrespective of what area of London they come from, or ethnic group they belong to. many thanks to the churches in iCC missions, the midlands Churches of Christ, and the thames Valley Churches of Christ for this tremendous support. it makes such a difference. in 2010, basket collections raised 80,000 for overseas aid and 56,000 for our uk programmes. please dont underestimate the importance of these basket collections for our work. they are essential to us. if you are one of the people that regularly donate in the baskets, a big thank you. All that loose change adds up to something worthwhile. Standing up with a standing order the other main source of donations from individuals is through people setting up standing orders from their bank account. this is our most important income source because it provides a regular donation that we can make plans with. many thanks to all of you who donate in this way - more is written about this on page 11.
Preparing villagers for winter in Pakistan after the floods part funded by basket collections
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Unique service Last year we researched whether two Step was still needed. When it was established eighteen years ago it was a unique initiative to help single homeless people. it was a quick and simple intervention that helped people access long term accommodation. For many people it was their only hope and opportunity. Was this still the case? We discovered 32 other London agencies trying to provide something similar, all of whom limited access to their service, mostly because of the constraints set by their funders, so that their ability to help people was significantly reduced. to the best of our knowledge, two Step continues to be the only hope for significant numbers of homeless people across London. We are constantly told this by the people we help as well.
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two Step continues to be the only hope for significant numbers of homeless people across London
Freely you have received, freely give As a Christian faith based organisation, much of our inspiration comes from following the example of Jesus. one of his statements was, freely you have received, freely give, which refers to how incredibly fortunate we all are and how we should express our gratitude by giving back. ultimately, this is why we are able to serve for free. this is why our staff and volunteers give so much more than is asked of them, and why hope worldwide uk is able to continue to provide a service to the poor motivated by compassion and not cash.
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Programme updates
Front photo of volunteers taking part in the national Volunteer day. photo taken by Jon Whycer.
hope worldwide - uk is an affiliate of the international organisation hope worldwide. hope worldwide's mission is to bring hope and change lives. With the support of over 100,000 committed volunteers, hope worldwide annually serves more than 2.5 million needy people around the world in over 100 nations. Founded in 1991, hope worldwide's programmes serve disadvantaged children and senior citizens, provide education, and deliver medical services in developing countries. hope worldwide is a recognised non-governmental organisation in special consultative status with the economic and Social Council of the united nations. hope worldwide in the united kingdom is a registered charity in england and Wales (reg Charity no. 1045930). All information correct at time of going to press 29/06/11
days. Activities were organised in homeless day centres, sheltered accommodaion for the elderly, and in outside spaces like parks, childrens playgrounds and other public places. 371 volunteers took part, in four cities at 22 sites. they participated in cleaning, gardening, decorating, entertaining, feeding, knitting and providing companionship and served for a total of 1,419 hours. there was also an unexpected result in east London, a gun was discovered by volunteers clearing the grounds of St marys church in Leyton. one less gun on the streets! the atmosphere was very joyful, as people gave time to their local communities. Volunteers expressed gratitude for the opportunity as well as a desire to volunteer again. here are a few examples of what was said after the day: Sometimes you have good intentions but a day like this can kick start more volunteering; i felt we accomplished something; everyone realised that they were refreshed after serving others despite the amount of hard work; We were surprised by how we were affected by seeing and interacting with older people with serious needs, and came out very enthusiastic about carrying on; and i definitely would like to do this again.
everyone realised that they were refreshed after serving others despite the amount of hard work
A big thank you to the following groups and organisations that made the day a success.
Birmingam: City hospital, midlands Churches of Christ. London: Alzheimers Society, Appletree Court Care home, Central London ministry, Childrens Storehouse, Contact the elderly, east London international Church of Christ, Freemans Court residential home, Friends in need Community Centre, highway house homeless night Shelter, Linden house, manna Centre, north London Church of Christ, northwest London Christian Church, riverside Christian Fellowship, ross Wyld Care home, Somerford grove Community project and Adventure playground, South London Church of Christ, Southeast London international Church of Christ, St Francis hospice, St marys Church Leyton, Surrey international Church of Christ, the oaks nursing home, West brompton Cemetery, West London international Church of Christ. Manchester: manchester international Church of Christ, Woodbank park. Reading: beech hill, durham Court, Liebenrood road, thames Valley Churches of Christ, tyrell Court.
4 cities 22 sites 371 volunteers 1419 volunteer hours Thousands indirectly served and 1 gun taken off the streets!
National Volunteer Day in the past we have often held annual volunteer days in which groups found local needs to be met. this year we decided to do this again, in partnership with many of the churches that support us, and Saturday 4th June was chosen as the date because it sat within national Volunteer Week. groups of volunteers came together across the country and started to research local needs. 12 congregations, and a further 22 organisations that needed assistance planned the volunteer
Children getting stuck in as well Painting the adventure playground at Somerford Grove. photo: Jon Whycer.
twostep
settled living for homeless
was able to open up about his problems. his mentor suspected there might be a deeper problem, and they began looking at assessing Steven for dyslexia. An independent assessor confirmed that Steven is in fact at the lower extreme of the range (i.e. his ability to read and write is severely affected and he is dyslexic). She believes part of this may have been triggered or exacerbated by several head injuries Steven suffered in childhood. Steven is now in the process of seeing a disability advisor at the Jobcentre, so he can hopefully access the help he needs. because there has never been a correct assessment before, Steven has been told to apply for jobs which require reading and writing, and threatened with having his benefits withdrawn if he doesnt pursue them. Steven and his mentor have revised and updated his CV, things are looking hopeful and Steven feels hes making progress. Stevens sister, who has been doing her best to support him, sent an e-mail to his mentor: i have to say that Steve appears much stronger these past 6 months than he has done in the last 2 years and with your support it can only get better for him.
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Ayo Williams, new Housing Support Worker
Not only was Steven offered accommodation, but a lifelong problem has begun to be overcome that will transform his future. Steven was referred to two Step by the Connection at St. martins after approaching them for help. Steven was 50 years old and became homeless two years ago when his relationship broke down. he had been sofa surfing with friends and acquaintances for nine months when referred to us. he had lost his job and his hope the only thing he says that kept him going was his relationship with his seven year old son david, which was very good. however Steven was able to see little of david when he didnt know where he would be sleeping at night. Steven was housed three days after being assessed at hope worldwide in a studio flat not too far from his wifes house. he settled in well, and is now able to have david stay over with him at weekends and during school holidays. Steven began meeting up with a moving on mentor three weeks after moving in, as he was finding it increasingly difficult to get work. Although he has years of decorating experience in the construction industry, the kind of jobs he used to walk into are no longer available without Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) qualifications. having worked all his adult life, Steven found his age, lack of formal qualifications and literacy skills were now holding him back, and he has now spent two years without a job. being in settled accommodation and meeting his mentor regularly gave Steven the confidence to speak about the fact that he had never learned to read and write he had left school young, without qualifications and developed coping strategies as an adult, but always struggled and felt inferior as a result. despite being sent on various literacy and numeracy courses via the Jobcentre, he found the experience very frustrating as he really could not keep up with the work. Steven and his mentor get on well, and Steven
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owner to get their paperwork returned and dora was able to get a Job Seekers Allowance claim underway. two weeks after the initial two Step assessment, dora and her boyfriend moved into a flat, where they have been since. they are both feeling much more setled and are seeking work.
first thing in the morning. At the time i didnt know that this was to be the start of my journey into recovery. i saw a lady called ruth who took me to her office and just looked at the state i was in, more emotionally than physically and said quite simply, Let it out..... Any fight or resistance had since left me and the floodgates opened. i cried my heart out to her and just begged for help. i had come to realise that i was beaten and couldnt continue on my own. i needed help and was willing to do anything she said. She told me to go to a place in Camden and try and get myself into a night-shelter from which i may be able to get help getting into a rehab programme.
instantly made to feel welcome, given a lovely meal and shown to my room. i was in a house with guys like me, people with addiction problems who had reached the point of being unable to help ourselves. there was no misery or despair in the house. these guys were happy and smiling, joking and having a laugh. i was baffled! it was to become clearer in the next six months that what these guys were experiencing was the benefits of the odAAt programme. Soon enough, i was engaged in a journey (sometimes painful) of discovery, both about my illness and about myself. id lost track of who i was and didnt know what i was suffering from. i just thought that i had become a useless part of the human race due to my own actions, so deserved what i got. As i went through the programme; anger management, peer-support, key-work sessions, relapse prevention, life story, step work (based on the twelve step recovery programme of AA) and one-to-one counselling all became pieces of the puzzle that was to show me who i was, what i was scared of, how to face my problems, how to engage with other people and how to start again to rebuild my life. i never thought any of this was achievable for someone who had destroyed every relationship, job and friendship through my alcoholism, but i sit here today as part of the house management team with odAAt, having already taken an nVQ in health and Social Care, being back in contact with my family and well on the way to rebuilding my life. i have things in my life which are far and beyond any hopes and expectations i had back in January 2008. to this i owe my gratitude to odAAt, the people involved and the programme in place.
i have been back to that alleyway, and i still cant see how they saw me. they took me into the hospital, where i was to spend the night in the A&e reception, due to the fact that i wasnt injured as such. they gave me hot tea and a blanket and checked on me regularly as i was starting to go into alcohol withdrawal. they told me that an appointment had been made to see the alcohol liaison team
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before i went to the house, i met toby dodson, who showed me compassion and told me that they could help me if i was willing to help myself. once again, the floodgates opened, because for the third time in a week i could see hope and not the futility and despair which i had come to believe was my lot in life. i think that from that day on i knew that somehow, everything was going to be alright. i had been told that i was going into a residential six month rehabilitation programme and that one day at a time my life could and would get better. i entered the house on thursday 24th January in the middle of a house meal. i was
i never thought any of this was achievable for someone who had destroyed every relationship, job and friendship through my alcoholism, but i sit here today... being back in contact with my family and well on the way to rebuilding my life
year; he was a man who loved his gadgets and his music but most importantly, wanted to help others on the road to recovery. unfortunately, he lost his battle with addiction. Simon parker will be missed, however he left an imprint, to spur us on to be a pillar for others to lean on. the following was writen before the first odAAt Challenge in 2009. it reflects how important the odAAt Challenge is.
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Moving to St Marks odAAt was offered several rooms at St marks kennington. these now provide multiple meeting spaces as well as one-to one counselling rooms. they also provide access to a kitchen. every tuesday morning, the odAAt guys cook breakfast for each other and any visitors, before getting into their various groups. New therapy manager Last year, michael ishmael, qualified counsellor bACp member, took over as therapy manager from John partington. michael has built impressively on Johns great work. he has also just graduated from his masters in Addiction psychology. Congratulations michael. Third stage supported housing Last year, John partington spearheaded setting up third stage supported housing. these houses provide a transition from the formal odAAt programme to fully independent living. John has successfuly set up three third stage houses, providing capacity for 13 people.
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________________________________________________ 1. Donor Bank Details (Please use block capitals) To the Manager of ........................................................ Bank PLC Branch Name ................................................................................ Address .......................................................................................... ....................................................... Postcode ................................ Account Number Sort Code I want to help those in need by donating, per month: (Tick box) 10 25 50 Other (please specify) ................. To HOPE worldwide (CO-OP Bank, Account No 65061288, Sort Code 08-92-99) Start date .................... (Donations will be made on or around this day of the month thereafter) ________________________________________________ 2. Signature for standing order Donor Signature ............................................................................ Date ............/............/2011 ________________________________________________ 3. Donor Details Title (Tick a box) Mr Miss Mrs
the representative, which meant that the gCC members were chosen by their peers rather than being appointed. the results were:
Region Africa Asia pacific South Asia South America north America europe-eurasia GCC member dr marc Aguirie dr Solange balou Charles ham dan Liu ian Correa henry gomez Antonio boyde Wil horwood Country South Africa ivory Coast indonesia China india honduras uSA uk
the gCC officially started in may 2010. What have the GCC achieved so far? initially, the gCC conducted a mapping exercise to establish more clearly what hope worldwide was doing in 74 countries. this exercise revealed the following: 2.5 million people served anually; 60,000 volunteers; and 2,000 staff. Which means that hope worldwide has a staff to service user ration of 1:1,250 which is made possible by our amazing volunteers. Also, the main service areas around the world are:
Region Africa Asia pacific Service delivery priorities orphans and vulnerable children hiV/AidS education orphans and vulnerable children primary healthcare education orphans and vulnerable children orphans and vulnerable children education elderly Children homeless disaster response Children homeless elderly
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Forename ....................................................................................... Surname ........................................................................................ Address .......................................................................................... ....................................................... Postcode ................................ Telephone* ..................................................................................... Mobile* .......................................................................................... Email* ............................................................................................ *Optional: Please supply these so we can communicate with you more efficiently. We need to be able to check periodically that we still have your correct address for the Gift Aid declaration to remain valid. We would also love to be able to let you know of news and events between the publication of newsletters so that we can keep you better informed of our work. ________________________________________________ 4. Gift Aid I am a UK tax payer and I want all donations Ive made since 6 April 2000 and all donations in the future to be Gift Aid until I notify you otherwise. (Tick a box) Yes No Tick "Yes" and HOPE worldwide can claim your income tax back to give an extra 28% to our programmes. Using Gift Aid means that for every pound you give, we get an extra 28 pence from the Inland Revenue, helping your donation go further. This means that 10 can be turned into 12.80 just so long as donations are made through Gift Aid. Imagine what a difference that could make, and it doesnt cost you a thing. To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax must at least equal the amount we will claim in the tax year. ________________________________________________ 5. Return Postal Details Please send this form to the freepost address: Freepost RLXS-GHRE-SBZJ, HOPE worldwide, 360 City Road, London EC1V 2PY
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north America
europe-eurasia
the programme mapping exercise revealed that 21 out of the 74 affiliates were fairly sophisticated organisations, but that the rest were often still in the start-up phase and required more assistance to become better established. the gCC have been developing a number of resources to support capacity building, and will continue to work on this.
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if you would like to support us through a standing order, please act today, fill in the form and send it to the freepost address. thanks!
Staff from hope worldwide uk have also visited european programmes to provide support and encouragement. toby has visited hope worldwide Czech republic, John has visited a team in Albania who want to establish hope worldwide there, and Wil recently visited hope worldwide germany to provide support and training for their board and staff. All three also preached to the churches that support hope worldwide in those countries. Wil horwood recently took on the additional role of representing europe and eurasia in the
HOPE worldwide programmes in Europe by programme area Country Children elderly homeless Addiction disaster education developing recovery response World Austria Yes Croatia Yes Yes Czech republic Yes Yes germany Yes Yes Yes Yes hungary Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Lithuania Yes Yes Yes romania Yes Yes Yes russia Yes Yes Switzerland (geneva) Yes Yes Yes Switzerland (zurich) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ukraine Yes Yes Yes united kingdom Yes Yes Yes number of countries 9 7 6 3 1 2 8 in programme area new global Coordinating Council (gCC). one of their first tasks was to map programme areas around the world. the table above shows what programme areas hope worldwide in europe works in. there is much scope to learn from each other, especially when affiliates work in similar programme areas. As one of our programme areas in the uk is helping homeless people, it is of particular interest that several other affiliates also work in this area. in 2008, Wil and toby were priviledged to visit some of hope worldwide hungarys outreach to homeless people. maybe the most memorable was a visit to some woodland in budapest that the locals had renamed Sherwood Forest because people were living in it. We visited these homeless and brought warm clothes and a big pot of food that could be warmed over their fire. We were invited into their homes which consisted of wooden frames covered in plastic or anything they could find, and lined inside with carpet to insulate them against the bitterly cold winter. overall, europe is one of the least developed regions for hope worldwide programmes. Although some countries have staffed programmes with premises to operate from, many of the european affiliates are volunteer led with very limited resources. there are incredible opportunities in europe for learning from each other, for growing and possibly for developing europe wide programmes as well as for developing a european capacity to raise funds for hope worldwide in developing countries.
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Wil Horwood looks on as Tima Eve of HOPE worldwide Hungary comforts a homeless women in Sherwood Forest
they need significant investment and capacity building. however, despite these challenges
if you answered yes to any of these questions, then connect to us and other supporters through social media. hope worldwide uk has set up pages on facebook and twitter so that we can communicate directly with you. please go to the links (left) and like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter.
twostep
settled living for homeless
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emergency accommodation
movingon
mentoring to release potential
drug and alcohol addiction recovery