Updates from Churches Together Projects - May 2021

WINTER NIGHT SHELTER

During January to march this year, the Council was housing all homeless people who came to them for help. The Winter Night Shelter team has been helping the Council with people being housed, who have not got the basic bedding and kitchen equipment they need by providing Starter Packs containing bedding, towels, pans, crockery, cutlery, a toaster and a kettle. During the winter period, 22 starter packs were given out. Morrisons was helpful in providing some funding towards these items.

THE PEACE COTTAGE COMMUNITY PROJECT

Plans are developing for the use of the old Quaker Meeting House in Lord St, with its linked community hall and cottage, as a Community Centre, with an accompanying Community Garden. Urgent work is about to start on the building to make it waterproof and to bring in hot water. There also needs to be a new heating system installed. Applications for funding for the building and the activities within it, have been started, and some funds have started coming in.

Work on the Community Garden has already started. Volunteers have cleared the brambles and work is starting to redesign it as a community garden. This project has been put forward for ‘Green Social Prescribing’, - a place where people can go for healing and restoration.

THE HEAR4U LISTENING TEAM

Hear4U is a team of volunteers who are trained in Active Listening. Their role is not to give advice, but to listen to people, reflect back what has been said, and help people to come to their own solutions for the way forwards. Hear4U is working in the Borough of Broxbourne and can take adult referrals from front-line workers, through the online Frontline system. They will work one-to-one with clients, usually in a church location, giving sessions for up to an hour. Each client can have up to three sessions. Good communication will be kept with the referrers, and the client would be referred back to them if further needs were identified.

14 people have been trained as Listeners for the Hear4U Listening Team and the team is now open for referrals.

WELCOME TO BREWERY ROAD FLATS

Twenty-two new flats are being built by B3 Living in Brewery Road, Hoddesdon, as rented accommodation for the over 55s. They are due to be ready by June 2021. Plans are being developed by Churches Together, Love Hoddesdon and local partners, to give Welcome Packs to the new residents. The welcome packs will contain information about Hoddesdon and local activities, along with information about the churches in Hoddesdon, a few goodies, like tea, coffee, biscuits etc., and a Welcome card.