Shelter Update
As a result of the wonderful commitment of all Robes partnering Churches, volunteers and other centres: we have had full house of 35 guests, most of this season.
There are many great results and progressive steps. Some of these are:
Grant applications: 10 done
Universal credit applications: 7 done
Immigration letters: 7 done
Personal clothing things for work: 12 helped
National Insurance Numbers and Identification documents: 7 sorted out
Long-stay hostel placements: 3 secured
Employment: 17 placements
SleepOut 2018 Update
Thank you to every single supporter of the 2018 SleepOut, we have raised £76,198 so far.
SleepOut 2019
The next SleepOut will be the last Friday of November 29 at Southwark Cathedral. You will be able to enrol via Robes website the end of March. DONT MISS OUT!
Story from a Volunteer
2016 was the first time I volunteered for Robes and I'm still here.
I felt it was a really good thing to do as I thought when first doing it " there for the grace of God". Now I'm a team leader and it has amazed me in the past that most of our volunteers are from our local community and they keep coming back each year.
Now Robes is my opportunity to give back, to be the good Samaritan.
Maria Felix SPA
St Philip's Camberwell
Church/Shelter Visits
Robes Project update to Churches and Congregations: Robes would like to offer a short talk to all the Churches that host shelters to update the Congregations about how things are going and to thank you for all your support and involvement. If you would like a talk in your Church, please contact Nicholas Faraday: nick.faraday@robes.org.uk
Guests success story
“Before Robes, I was on the streets for 5 months. I had lost my job and could not get another. These days you cannot get a proper job without Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). I needed to renew my green card to work in construction but had no money and I was always stressed moving from place to place. I could not think straight. And now, I have been in Robes just two months and look what you have done! You have made it possible for me to do training and pass my CSCS test and get a new card that will last for 5 years. And you have put me in touch with Pecan who have sorted me out with work straight away. And when I got work, you helped me get work boots which are mandatory, and with travel fares to get to work until my first pay day. All this time, I have wasted when I was on the streets with no help! Nobody wanted to know me. Robes has been fantastic! I tell you next year I am going to come back and volunteer in the Churches. This is important for me now as I have seen what you do and how you help people like me.”
This Guest is working full time, secure with the right credentials in place. And he recently completed training in Health and Safety and a course in first aid which will help his advancement. He is still not properly housed as we would like him to be. At present, he pays his way in backpackers’ hostels while looking to rent a room. To accept accommodation from the agency contacts that Robes has would not suit him. These agents typically charge between £1,000 - £1,300 for a studio flat and prefer tenants who are likely to be out of work for a long period of time, if not indefinitely so they have a fixed stream of income from the local authorities. All his monthly income would evaporate when meeting these costs. As he says, “what would be the point of working?” So, he is confident in relying on word of mouth as he works and meets others for finding a room in a shared house for working people like himself. He wants us to know Robes has helped him move from being in a difficult place without hope in sight to one where he is working full time in a job. He feels fulfilled and is optimistic about his future.
Wednesday Club
In the last couple of months, the Wednesday Club has expanded from guest numbers of around 10 up to 20.
In response to this, we will be bringing in some new volunteers over the next couple of weeks. We now have three excellent and reliable long term volunteers, one of whom is an ex-guest.
Guests will soon have a dedicated volunteer to help them look for jobs, housing, and to support them in filling out applications.
We will also be looking for new sources of material donations, t-shirts, and boxers are snapped up as soon as they are offered and currently we don't have enough to meet demand.
The Robes projector has made watching films a much loved addition to our monthly schedule. Last month we took 8 guests bowling. It was an amazing experience that built and cemented relationships between many of the guests. We will be planning next month's trip in the coming weeks.
To find out more about the Wednesday club, please contact: josh.carey@robes.org.uk
Request for Office Volunteers
Robes is looking for 2 volunteers who would like to come into the office 2 days a month to help with various things these range from:
Working with social media
Helping to sort out the Robes storage cupboards
Basic admin duties
First aid packs
Toiletry packs
Assisting in planning small events
If you would like to get involved, please contact: nick.faraday@robes.org.uk
Request for Volunteers who can provide morale support to our guests
Robes is looking for several volunteers who we can prepare for the next shelter season to go support guests when they have important appointments, if you are interested please contact: Crispin.green@robes.org.uk
Other events
Thanks giving service to be held at St Peters Walworth, on Sunday April 14th at 5pm, all welcome.
Donate
Please continue to support Robes Project and the invaluable work the community is doing to empower and support the homeless:
Robes Project
The Cooperative Bank
Account number: 65842999
Sort Code: 08 92 99