Robes Project supporter, Nicky Nicholls launches book

New Release Date! Robes Project are delighted to share with you details of Nicky Nicholls new book, Not A Proper Child.

The story begins when Nicky encounters the Moors Murderer, Myra Hindley, in Risley remand centre in 1965. The brief meeting of these two young women, who are in some ways similar, resonates through Nicky’s story as an experience of the darkness into which a human life can descend and her own resolve, whatever she has faced, to make a different choice.
Left as a newborn in a box outside Stoke City Football ground, her grandparents took her into their home. But instead of finding a sanctuary, Nicky was subjected to horrific sexual abuse through her childhood. In 1951, when Nicky was six years old, her glamorous-looking estranged mother arrived on the doorstep to `rescue’ her and take her to London to live with her new family. But Nicky’s hopes of a safe and loving life were very soon smashed, and her world became darker still…

Nicky spent years as a homeless alcoholic, living on the street, in and out of prison before eventually finding a new way forward through her love of art.
Now an internationally renowned London artist, hers is a compelling story, carried along by her rare spirit of survival against the odds. This book tells the details of an extraordinary woman’s rise from the horror of a deeply damaging childhood to a new, creative and independent life. Her story is one of hope, for herself and for other abused children.

The book is due to be released in September 2018. Watch this space for more details!

Lee & Thompson raise £6,500 for Robes in Six Peak Challenge!

A very brave team from Lee & Thompson took part in the six peaks challenge over a sunny weekend in September in support of Robes.

The six peaks challenge involves climbing the highest peak across the six regions of the British Isles, not something for the faint hearted. With an original fundraising target of £4000, the team surpassed this and raised an incredible £6,500

Robes Chairman, George Martin, expressed thanks on behalf of the Robes team:

“On behalf of all at Robes I would like to thank your 20 strong team most warmly for taking part in a gruelling expedition to the Lake District on 16th-18th September climbing Lakeland Mountains etc. You are all amazing and raising over £6k for the Robes Project is fantastic. Well done and thank you so much”.

To read more about how the team got on, follow this link http://www.leeandthompson.com/news/six-peaks-challenge-success/

InSight: September Robes Staff Blog

What should I do if someone is homeless and asks me for help?

You might be asked for help by a person who is homeless or threatened with homelessness, whether this is outside on the streets, someone reaching out to your church, or in your personal life. You might be talking to someone who was just evicted from their home today, a person who has been staying with friends for a number of months, or someone who has been rough sleeping for a while. As situations can be so varied and complex, and housing is not easy to come by in London, it is crucial to refer someone to a specialist homeless service who are equipped to support people who are homeless, and to deal with the often complex issues they might be facing

Let them know about the homeless day centres in your area.

At a day centre, they will not only be able to access a warm and safe place to stay during the day, free/ cheap food, showers, or clothes stores, but in addition all day centres also offer specialist advice and support to help people get into accommodation. Day centres are easy to access, anyone can simply drop in during opening hours. With their expertise, they are the best first point of contact for someone to access the housing support and advice they need and deserve. The two day centres in Southwark are: the Manna Centre near London Bridge, and the Webber Street Day Centre near Waterloo. In Lambeth, we’ve got the Ace of Clubs in Clapham, and Spires Day Centre in Streatham. For day centres in other areas, you can check out The Pavement service directory here.

Be aware that the council might not be in a position to help them.

Councils have a duty to provide some, but not all, homeless people with accommodation. In order to access housing through the council, a homeless person will have to fulfil a number of criteria, and many single homeless people in particular do not meet the threshold. It can be frustrating for someone to present to the council as homeless only to be turned away. A day centre will be able to advise whether someone is owed a duty to be housed by the council.