Dear Friends
In a BBC Radio Sheffield interview a few months ago, I was asked if I’m hopeful for the future. It was a difficult question to answer.
As a charity, remaining hopeful is a constant task. But as 2024 draws to an end, I want us to dream about a happier and healthier 2025.
All the key statistics about homelessness are going the wrong way. The number of people sleeping on the street, in shop doorways and parks, on buses, and other places not designed for a good night’s rest, has increased beyond our fears.
The number of people, including children and young people, in temporary accommodation continues to rise – and we know this is a risk factor for experiencing homelessness in the future.
Every 6 hours, a person who is experiencing homelessness in the UK dies.
And, as if we didn’t already suspect it, the UK currently has one of the worst records for people suffering from homelessness – despite being the sixth largest global economy.
How can I find hope in all of this? What reasons could I give for asking you to dream of a better year ahead?
Max, Keith, Jay, Rebecca, Vince, George, Alan and many other people we have supported. Some of these .
individuals have secured accommodation, which is something they didn’t have at the start of the year. None have found a magic wand, but they have faced difficulties with the courage to lean on people and places for support; they have taken the steps to make a new start.
So, it is with thanks to new tenancies and the chance to volunteer, to counselling sessions and peer mentors, to the on-site GP and wound care nurse, and to our community, who have helped people’s moving into accommodation go a little bit smoother. It is to kindness.
thanks
It is thanks to all those who, in various ways, contribute to making it possible for people to live happier lives.
I hope you’ll join me in leaving 2024 behind, and striving for a better year to come.
Tim Renshaw Chief Executive Officer
BEHIND THE COVER Q&A BEHIND THE COVER Q&A
Behind each of our covers is a real person with a unique story to tell about what The Archer Project means to them. In this edition we speak to Garry, who describes himself as an ‘all rounder’ for Archer Project Enterprises and ‘a bit of a nomad’, having moved back and forth between Bradford, Sheffield and Birmingham over the years.
When did you first come to The Archer Project?
When did you first come to The Archer Project?
About four years ago. I’ve never had a drug or alcohol problem, I lost my property – I've been fortunate that I've only ended up sofa surfing. My confidence and esteem was low, I was depressed. A lovely lady called H helped me. Without H, I don't think I would have been here still. She helped me get into accommodation.
How has the supported employment programme helped you?
How has the supported employment programme helped you?
ThefirstjobthatIstarteddoingwasironprinting[atPrintedbyUs],whichislike stencilprinting,andthenIprogressedtodoinghandprinting.They’vetaughtme alot,I’veevenpresentedworkshopswiththem.IalsoworkforJustClean.
Afewyearsago,Iwouldn’tbeabletowalkintoameetingorjusttalktopeople, becauseIhadsomanythingsonmymind.Beingabletogetup,gosomewhere, dosomework,spendtimewithsomedecentpeople–yeah,itsortofgotme backtobeingme.
[Theteam]showyoudifferentskills,helpyoutoadvanceasapersonaswellas mentally.Andthat'swhatTheProjectliterallydoesforpeople,itmakesyouan individual.Youhaveustheretalkingaboutwho'smadethemostmoneyforthe shopandstufflikethat,itmakesyoucompetitive.Itmakesyoulive,breathe–it's likeamotivation.
What effect has The Archer Project had on your life? What effect has The Archer Project had on your life?
ThebestthingthatIsayaboutTheProjectisth confidenceback.They’veliterallyhelpedmeto Youcanseeitwithpeoplewhenyou'rethere,y andtheconfidencecomingbackinpeople,and peoplethat'sbeenthroughsimilaroreventhes beenthrough.Wehavetoreachalevelwherew toshare,andthisiswhatI'vegotfromTheArch foreachother.That'sthetruebeautyofThePr
What would you say to someone who is com What would you say to someone who is com Project for the first time? Project for the first time?
There'salwaysaneartolisten.Notsayingyou'r resultsdonestraightaway,butthere'salwayss tolisten.ThepeopleI'veworkedwithhavealwa openthedoorsforme,they'vealwaysbeenthe BigupTheProject!
Hear from the people we support
Below are quotes from people being supported at The Archer Project, some of whom also volunteer in our kitchen, laundry, and donation store:
Staff and volunteers are approachable and understanding, whether it’s clothes, food, a shower or just a chat on the settee.
Without The Archer Project providing everything they do, I honestly wouldn’t know how I would cope... Thank you all at The Project.
Socially inviting – board games, settees, computers, tea and coffee, a chance to mix and make friends, dine and socialise.
Supportive and understanding – nonjudgemental, listening ear, help with calls, appointments and more.
Volunteering gives me something positive to do in the morning, to help people who wouldn’t have eaten anything if we weren’t here.
It gives me a feel-good factor and motivates me to work tomorrow and the next day and the next.
The Archer Project is much more than a food service. I do not know what I would do without this.
You’ve got to try it
Abseiling with Endeavour
Getting off the street isn’t the end of experiencing homelessness. We recognise that participation and inclusion are integral to helping people build self-esteem. Everyone is worthy of having their voice heard, and deserving of living a happier, more fulfilling life.
acilitate building on self-worth is elonging, team building, and the Peak District was led by lives through education and
Jonny, a beneficiary of The Archer Project, said: “I just put my kit on and was first over without getting asked.”
“It’s the first thing I’ve done here since volunteering. I did want to go rock climbing, but I’ve got a leg ulcer that has stopped me. I’ve had it for about seven years. I’m getting treatment for it [at The Archer Project] now.
“It’s a natural high, it’s good. It’s not something I would have thought to just pop up and do. It’s only through here that I’ve been given the chance to do it.”
Jonny has volunteered for 3 months in our kitchen and hasn’t ruled any extra activities out!
“With any luck, my leg might be fixed by the time something else comes along, and I might be able to do something like rock climbing.
“Leg permitting I’d do owt. I’ve never done wing-walking, and that would probably scare me, but I’d give it a go.”
Stability Manager, Alicia Thompson said: “Jonny led the way for us all and gave everyone a confidence boost by doing the abseiling first.”
Facts and figures from The Archer Project
Forpeopleexperiencinghomelessness,winteris inescapable.TheArcherProjectprovidesawarm,safe spacewheremanyindividuals–particularlypeoplelivingon thestreet–seekrefugefromtheharshconditionsoutside.
Unsurprisingly,thismakeswinterourbusiesttime.Even beforeweenterthisperiod,thenumberofpeopleseeking supportatourcentreissignificantlybeyondourcapacity. Total
at The Project:
Pressure on
TheSnowdropProjectsupportsandempowerssurvivorsof modernslaveryandexploitationinSouthYorkshire.Snowdrop providesCaseworksupport,trauma-informedCounselling, Community Activities, House Renovations and ComplementaryTherapies(shiatsu,acupuncture,arttherapy andyoga)toenableclientstorecoverfromtheirexperiences andrebuildtheirlives.
Surgeindemandforservices:130%increaseinnumberof adultsurvivorsaccessingservicessince2020/2021.Inthe sameperiod,numberofchildrenaccessingserviceshas increasedby65%.
DemandforCounsellingserviceincreaseddramaticallyin pastyear–received54referralsin2023,andalreadyhad 80referralsbySeptember2024.Snowdropanticipatethat, bytheendof theyear,referrals will havedoubled comparedto2023.
WaitinglistforCaseworkserviceforthefirsttimeever:610survivorswaitingtoaccessCaseworksupportatany onetimethroughoutthisyear.Tomitigate,Snowdrop openedaweeklyDrop-inService,toensurepeoplewaiting toaccesssupportcanstillhavetheirmosturgentneeds addressed.
Costshaverisentounprecedentedlevels:31%increasein interpretercosts,127%increaseinutilitiescosts,and43% averageincreaseinoverallcosts.
“Wehaveadaptedasmuchaspossibletoprioritiseservice delivery,and,despitethechallenges,wehavecontinuedto increase our impact year-on-year. Overall, like many charities,wearedoingmorewithless...Forourteam,this hasmeantworkingharderonallfronts,justtokeep Snowdropinthesamepositionandprotectcutstovital services.”–RachelMedina,CEOofSnowdropProject.
“Rough sleeping is just the tragic tip of the homelessness iceberg. It is what happens when people run out of options.”
The yCentre
Local Services
Likewise(partofnationalcharityWaythrough)is melessddddinthefirst Sheffield’sadultalcoholanddrugservice,partneredwithProject6. eping Likewiseprovidesbothtreatmentandrecoveryserviceswithvarious s specialistteams,toreachdiversecommunitiesacrossSheffield.TheHomeAt LastTeam(HALT)specialisesinsupportingpeopleexperiencinghomelessness whohavesubstancemisuseissues.
Teamof6withcurrentcaseloadof62individuals:flexible,opportunistic andmobileapproachtoengagewithclients,operatingfromtheLikewise vanorfromsupportcentres,likeTheArcherProject.
CrossorganisationalworkingallowsHALTtoexpandtheirsupportnetwork andreachclientswhocannotaccessmainstreamtreatmentandsupport. Theteamcanoffersamedayprescribing,meetingserviceusersintheir communities.
AclientbeingjointlysupportedbySWWOP(supportserviceforpeople engagedinsexwork)saidafter30yearsofopiatedependency,she’snow accessingtreatmentandsupportthroughtheLikewisevanand“feelsfree.”
RichardGrundy,LeadPractitioner,explainedthereis“anever-rising caseload.Thisispairedwiththeaccommodationcrisis,there’ssuchahigh demandforsuitableaccommodation.”HALTalsostrugglestorecruitnew members,whichRichardsuggestsisbecause“notenoughpeoplehavethe experiencerequiredtoworkwiththecomplexneedsofthehomeless community.”
TheSundayCentreprovideshotfoodanddrinksforupto150guestseach Sunday.TheCentreoffersguestsagenuinewelcomeandthechanceto socialisewithothers,regardlessofpeople’sbackgroundorcircumstances.
OnSundays,thereisaparticularneedforasafe,warmrefugeavailableto allbecausemanyoftheotherrelieforganisationscloseonthisday.
SundayCentre’sguestsareSheffield'shomeless,rootless,marginalisedand anyoneinneed.Theirusergroupisdiverseandincludesnotonlylocal homelessandotherpeopleinneedbutalsorefugees,asylumseekers,and newarrivalsinthecity.
“Thebiggestpressurethatwefacecurrentlyistherisingnumberofusersof ourproject.Backin2020weusedtothinkthat80guestswas“pushingit” howeverthesedayswearenowseeing150+guestseachSunday.Andit doesn’tseemthatnumberisslowingdownorreducing.”–MichaelBurston, DeputyChairofSundayCentre.
Regular Supporters
Outside shop in Hathersage is a family business that’s
been supporting The Archer Project for a few years.Director,JamesTurnbullsaidsupportingthe charitywas“anobrainer!”
He explained: “We chose The Archer Project becausetheydosuchagreatjobforlocalpeople. Wewantedtodosomethinggoodwithunwanted materials, both environmentally and socially. It’s great to be part of creating a circular economy andkeepingthesematerialsoutoflandfill.Weget lots of warm gear donated and it was pretty obviouswhereweshouldtryandhelp.”
So,howdotheydoit? Outsideshop’sRe-ActionProjectispartoftheinternationalRe-ActionCollective. If you have outdoor gear you don’t use anymore, you can bring it to the shop’s donationdropoffpoint.
Some items are recycled, or repurposed by Sheffield Clothing Repair. Suitable items including sleeping bags, warm clothing and footwear will be donated directlytoTheArcherProject.Otheritemsaresoldintheshoponasecond-hand rail and these raise funds to be split between The Archer Project and Moors for theFuture.
BrandsincludingMountainEquipmenthavedonated repairedgeartowardsthis,aswellasDarnTough andBridgedaledonatingsinglesamplesocksfor discountedpick-and-mixpairs.
Manager,JohnBradleysaid:“Everyonechipsinand triestohelp,donatinganystuffwe’vegotfree,most ofushaveexcessproducts.It’sadeadeasyprocess doingitthroughhere–dropitinthebin,wesort throughit,andtakeitouttoSheffield!”
Jamesadded:“It’sgreattosupportsomethinglocal whereweknowwherethefundsaregoing.There’s alwaysabitofexcitementwhenwebringdonations in[toTheProject]andpeoplecomeouttohelpunload thevan.Wegettodropthestuffoffandmeetthe peoplewhoaregoingtogetit,whichisreallynice.”
Just Clean is part of The Archer Project’s social enterprises. As a form of supported recovery, we provide paid employment opportunities, helping people with lived experience of homelessness to make progress towards achieving long-term employment.
At Just Clean, we deliver a variety of high quality, personable commercial cleaning contracts, from small independent coffee shops, to shared business spaces. We use eco-friendly products and our regular clientele provide our staff an opportunity to .
develop their confidence and transferable skills in a professional environment.
We aim to provide a nurturing environment for professional growth, as well as the practical skills learnt by working independently and as a team. Alongside this, we offer support in exploring volunteering, further education and future career opportunities. Just Clean is a gradual introduction to the workforce if people are not as comfortable working directly in a customer facing role at our other social enterprise, Printed by Us.
There are currently 6 people working in our Just Clean team, and we hope to grow this as we onboard more people to our supported employment programme. Everyone at Just Clean is paid a real living wage. By investing in people, our self-sustaining social enterprise is able to support more people back into work, and create positive change.
We have the capacity to take on a couple of new clients and are eager to find businesses in and around Sheffield that might be looking for a new cleaner, who also want to support our social mission.
If your business would like to make an enquiry, please contact: sian@archerproject.org.uk
”You being here for me – the whole Project – with college, absolutely amazing. Priceless in my life.”
Our services aim to provide support and encouragement for people taking steps to improve their own lives. Two of our beneficiaries, who volunteer at The Archer Project, shared their experience of further education courses.
Max has taken several college courses since he first came to The ArcherProject.
“When I walked into The Project, I'd lost my job, been through a lot, I lost my dog and then my dad. I was in a very bad way with my health, physically and mentally. It was just, you know, hood up, head down, not speaktoanyone.
“I got support and encouragement from staff to get help from the doctorwhenIwouldn'thavedone–if I hadn't, I might have lost a finger, or even my hand, because I'd had a reallychronicinfection.
“I started volunteering in the kitchen. It was really good to be around people, to feel part of a community, and to feel valued… being around fresh food, and making things that are good for you, and being with a goodteam–there’sabitofbanter.
“Doing something with people who aretryingtosortofachievethesame thing, and then going out and doing some of the social events, the activitiesandthingslikethat,it
helpedmegetmyhealthbackontrack and look after myself. One of the most important things is it helped get some structure back in my life and some routine.
“I'vehadagoodeducation,goodjobs.I usedtoteachscubadivingandworked on wildlife projects. But when I lost my job on health grounds I thought I'd never work again, that there was no sort of future. The first course [Archer Project] supported me with was a construction skills certification, which I passedwithflyingcolours!
“Then I did an introductory course about substance misuse, along with another volunteer. It was quite an emotionalthingbecausethelasttimeI
went [to that college] was on an open day when I was in rehab. There was about eight of us that went roundatthetime,andalmosthalfof them are dead now. So, it was really goodgoingwithsomebodyelsefrom TheProject.
“Next, I did peer mentoring, and now I’ve nearly finished a Level 3 in Education and Training. One of the things I'm looking to do with that is become a teacher in further education. College is a positive place because you meet people who are lookingtochangetheirlives,there'sa lot of people who have come overcomechallenges.
“Throughout, The Project have supported me with travel and food, and they were just encouraging about it which helped motivate me. I’ve also been on the [Project’s] Peer Mentoring Programme – it helps me to sort of just relate to somebody who'sbeenthereanddonethat.
“The volunteering has given me structure, I’m developing friendships, and it's helping to give me my confidence back. I feel like part of society again, and not isolated and depressed.”
Frank is currently studying app developmentandwebdesign.
“Since I was very young I've always liked technology and video games. When I was at junior school I used to loveplayingwithcomputers.
“I've done my own website and designed anapp before,butcoding’s a totallydifferentlanguage.There'ssome people who can literally speak that language effortlessly, like the teacher that we've got, he's amazing. It's enthralling,he'sreallyengaging.
“I’m easily distracted so when it comes to college it’s a wonderful environment to learn in. I'm not saying [the teacher] holds your hand the whole way, but he definitelydoesguideyouthrough.
“It’s giving me an amazing amount of confidence, meeting new people, taking myself out of my own comfort zone. I get apprehensive sometimes beingaroundpeople,butit'ssomething that The Project encourages me with, to be more open and accepting of my own self. If I keep putting up barriers saying this may happen, that may happen,I'llneverlivelife.
“The qualification for myself [after the course] would definitely be being confident and comfortable enough to be able to be in any environment, whether it be college or university, and knowthatI'mcapable…theconfidence thatwillgiveme.
“I'm looking forward to learning much more. And hopefully, there's an advanced course which I will be going onto.Youbeinghereforme–thewhole Project – with college, absolutely amazing.Pricelessinmylife.”
Everyone’s path away from experiencing homelessness is different. We support, encourage and remove any barriers we can to help people in achieving their goals, whatever those may be.
FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER 12:30 SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL
Join us at our annual Carol Service to sing along to cherished Christmas songs and hear stories from people we support. Service will be followed by homemade soup and rolls.
Regular Supporters
red port was important for us when choosing a charitytoensureweweresupporting our local people. We work within the sector of affordable housing, allowing people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to purchase a property, to have the chance to own theirhome.
“However, we wanted to take this one step further and support a charity which helps people experiencing homelessness as well. It
whichwasahugesuccess.
“Our favourite part of all this is definitely serving the breakfast every week–somuchsoweevenhavearota for who gets to do it! It gets us out of our office for a couple of hours, and allowsustoseethepeoplethatweare helping.Thisdrivesourteamtodoeven more to support, and feels much more connectedtothecharity.
“If your business is thinking of supporting The Archer Project we’d say do it, get involved! It doesn’t have to take a huge amount of time or money, butifeveryonesupportsacharityitcan meansomuch.ForusatMetroit’sbeen so rewarding, and brought people together as they think about their next fundraisingidea.Andit’ssuchapositive experience.”
