Review Annual
2015-2016
Comments from the Chair of Trustees
Contents
Gavin Howard
Comments from the Chair of Trustees
3
The Year at a Glance
4
Kerry: A Woman’s Story
6-7
Tenants’ Lives: Then and Now - Mubarak’s story
8-9
Heath Monaghan: Why Should Churches Partner with Hope into Action?
10-11
Reflections on the Conference
12-16
Monitoring our Impact
18-21
Inmate to housemate
22-23
Facts and Figures
26
Ways to Give
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I would like to share some of the highlights of the year with you. The number of Hope into Action homes grew from 26 to 36, with another 17 in the pipeline. We now have our first home on the Isle of Wight and four homes in Wolverhampton (two of which are accommodating refugees). Each home is lovingly supported by a partner church and we currently work with churches from ten different denominations. Since 2010, thanks to our investors, over £4.7 Million has
The word ‘enabling’ gets bandied about a great deal these days. Sometimes I think it can be used in a patronising manner as no real life changes result but hopefully at Hope into Action we get it right. When one or two in a church have a vision for housing the homeless, we really can help them do just that. It has
It has been very moving to see the many who have partnered with us been very moving to see the many who have partnered with us since our inception go from a standing start to a fully operating house or houses.
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The number of Hope into Action homes grew from 26 to 36, with another 17 in the pipeline. been invested into homes for the homeless through Hope into Action. I hope you are moved by the stories of those who have taken the plunge and also of their tenants. We love changed lives at Hope into Action and pray that more will take the first step with us.
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ROUGH IT
The Year at a Glance We held our Hope into Action service with a guest speaker, John Finlinson.
Opened our first home for refugees.
APR 2015
27th
29th
HOUSE
HOUSE
Norwich
Ipswich / Woodbridge
MAY 2015
And help us fight homelessness in Peterborough
JUNE 2015
28th
HOUSE Wolverhampton
Opened our 5th home in Norwich.
JULY 2015
AUG 2015
SEPT 2015
30th
HOUSE Pererborough
Our first BIG SLEEP IN! 100 children slept in their school hall overnight for Hope into Action.
OCT 2015
31st
HOUSE
Church leaders and supporters visit Hope into Action new head office in Peterborough.
NOV 2015
DEC 2015
Wolverhampton
32nd
33rd
HOUSE
HOUSE
Nottingham
Lincoln
We held our 2nd Hope into Action conference with over 200 people attending from across the country.
JAN 2016
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FEB 2016
34th
35th
HOUSE
HOUSE
Isle of Wight
Reading
MAR 2016
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We invite you to join us at Ferry Meadows, on Friday 14th October, to sample a small taste of what it might be like to be homeless. Once again we aim to raise money and awareness of the struggles the homeless face in this city and the work Hope into Action does in combating those issues. We will have live music, camp fires, talks from tenants and other special guests. Contact us for more information or visit: www.hopeintoaction.org.uk
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Helen: ‘She’s an inspiration to me’ I’ve always been the Hope into Action volunteer with our church – but it hasn’t always been a bed of roses when new tenants come in. We get a huge amount of support from Hope into Action, which is really valuable, especially in situations where we feel outside of our comfort zone.
Kerry A Woman’s Story My mum was a single parent. Things started to go very wrong for me when she met a new partner, who became more and more physically, mentally and sexually abusive towards me. Mum chucked me out of the house when I was a teenager, so I stayed with another family on the estate but was in a horrific house fire there. I began to use drink and drugs as a way to escape the pain At about 14, I was put into care, but was abused again at the children’s care home. I began to use drink and drugs as a way to escape the pain and did anything I could to survive. I had two daughters and two sons, but my children were adopted together to another family, as I wasn’t in a fit state to be the mother
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they needed me to be. I continued to selfmedicate with alcohol and drugs and ended up suffering several nervous breakdowns before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I managed to get clean for a few years, but then fell back into drugs again. Throughout my life, I’ve been hurt and manipulated by people who I should’ve been able to trust – people who should’ve cared for me and kept me safe. I’ve wanted to die on more than one occasion and would often go to bed not caring whether I woke up the next day or not. Having been right at the very bottom, I’m now scraping my way back up. I remember pleading with my doctor saying ‘I need some divine intervention right now, as I’m homeless again’. She told me about Hope into Action and the way they help people like me. I had two meetings to explore the possibility of moving in. I nearly didn’t move in, but I am SO glad I did! Looking back, it really feels like it was meant to be.
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I’ve been here just over a year now (having moved into the house in June 2015). At first, I relapsed a lot, but after a particularly bad episode when I almost died, I’ve not touched anything since. The people from Hope into Action were bothering with me; for the first time in my life, I felt like I was worth something. Now I cherish every day as a blessing. Just eight weeks after moving into the house, one of my daughters got back in touch with me and I found out that I’m a grandma! Things are definitely looking up for me. Hope into Action has given me the stability to regain what was stolen from me – I’m rebuilding relationships with my children and getting to know my grandchildren, and I’ve made some amazing friends at church. I still have my ups and downs of course, but my friends are my anchor; they keep me secure. I’m going to counselling now and I love it. It’s true what they say – life begins at 40!
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The people we support come from totally different walks of life. When you meet someone like Kerry and find out what she’s been through, you realise that they’re often very strong people, and they can teach us a lot. The first time I met Kerry was just after I’d been to the gym. Straight away she laughed at me – I wasn’t in my ‘Sunday Best’ and looked a right state! – I immediately knew we’d get on. Sometimes I ask myself ‘Where does God want me to be?’. I think my work with Hope into Action is a small part of where He wants me to be – but a very important one. Also, I’ve realised that it’s just as much for my benefit as it is the people I support; it’s incredibly humbling to be a part of someone’s transformation. Seeing Kerry transform her life and make new friendships has been a real blessing; I feel as if I have been watching her settle into her new nest, and now I am really looking forward to seeing her flourish in the future, not just as her mentor but as her friend.
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Tenants’ lives: then and now
Mubarak’s Story I escaped my beloved home country, Sudan, when my village was destroyed by the Janjaweed in 2014. The journey to the UK was long, lonely and absolutely terrifying. I left Darfur on 28 August 2014 and fled through Egypt, before crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a small, overcrowded boat full of complete strangers. I didn’t know anyone; I was completely alone and scared.
we knew that other boats had sunk and people had drowned, but we were so
desperate that we got in anyway
Before we took to the sea, we knew that other boats had sunk and people had drowned, but we were so desperate that we got in anyway – it was worth the risk. The boat wasn’t safe, it started to take on water and in the end we had to be rescued by a bigger ship, which took us to shore. We finally reached Italy in September 2014, after 13 days at sea.
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I then made my way from Italy to a refugee camp in France, where I spent many months. I was physically and emotionally exhausted, but still I knew I had to keep going. After many unsuccessful attempts, I managed to get across to Dover, by hiding underneath a lorry and clinging on to the wheel axle all the way through the Channel Tunnel. I volunteered myself to the Police when we reached Dover and I was taken to an immigration centre, where I spent three days before being sent to London. From London, I went to Birmingham, before finally ending up in Wolverhampton. When I was finally granted asylum, I was given 28 days to move out of my governmentprovided accommodation. Once again, I was alone and homeless. I sofa-surfed with another asylum seeker for a while, but when his asylum was granted, we knew our time had run out again and we would soon have nowhere to go. Thankfully, we were housed in a home run by Hope into Action: Black Country. For the
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first time in years, I felt safe. I had a home, I belonged somewhere – it was an amazing feeling.
The frightening things I experienced on my journey to this point still linger in my mind – and it’s
scary to think of what could have turned out differently.
The frightening things I experienced on my journey to this point still linger in my mind – and it’s scary to think of what could have turned out differently. The war in Sudan has made life a
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desperate struggle, with no education and no opportunity for young men like me to fulfil our potential or to plan for any sort of future. That’s why people are risking their lives to get to the UK; it feels like their only hope. Coming to the UK was incredibly risky, but it was absolutely worth it for the life I have now. I’m studying English and preparing to go to university in September to study engineering. Obviously it’s hard being here by myself; without any of my family, who I miss dreadfully. I worry about my family and friends back home in Sudan. Luckily, I have been able to stay in contact with them and they tell me that they are happy that I made it, that I’m safe here in the UK and that they’re proud of me for what I’m doing with my life.
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Image: grahamreading.com
Heath Monaghan Church Leader – Aspire Church in Isle of Wight
Why should Churches partner with Hope into Action? We got involved with Hope into Action when one of our members discovered it and would not stop badgering me until I looked at the website and the leaflets.
has been superb; they’ve had a handle on everything and have helped us immensely since we started working with them.
‘BAM!’ It was one of those God instances. Ed Walker and I have a similar background in housing. We’re both passionate about the potential for a social action organisation to be a fresh expression of God’s love. In short, Ed’s organisation scratched an itch I’d had for a long time!
It’s hard work, but the rewards are immeasurable. Matching people who want to be supporters with the people who need their support is a joy to witness. Watching one of the ladies really start to thrive and blossom – it’s tremendous. She has become very involved in the work at Aspire church Ryde and comes in to cook Thai food once a week for all the staff. She’s on the fringes, drawing ever closer…
We opened our first house in February this year, offering two spaces for vulnerable women. We have aspirations to open more homes, according to what the need is. People are already knocking on our door, so the demand for more is clear.
The ability to welcome people, to give them a sense of belonging and to see wonderful relationships and friendships being forged is a blessing in itself.
We’ve made fantastic local partnerships with the Probation Service and the Local Authority, who are actively requesting more places. The support we’ve had from Hope into Action
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Obviously there have been some challenges – but you can’t do anything like this without the odd hiccup. We get fantastic support from Hope into Action and we’ve learnt from the challenges. They’ve made us stronger and
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better equipped to put that new knowledge into practise. Our mentors get a great deal out of their involvement; as well as the satisfaction of knowing that they’re practically supporting someone, they can see the transformation of individual lives.
Hope into Action is an expression of living and breathing the gospel in today’s society. By breaking down the barriers, we can show the love of Christ in today’s communities. It’s a fantastic way of enabling everyone to get alongside and transform individual lives whilst participating in practical mission.
Find out more about our Church Parnerships - call us on 01733 558301
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Reflections on the conference Here we reflect on the second Hope into Action annual conference. At this conference we really wanted the voice of our tenants to be heard. Delegates benefited from a range of experts on homelessness, mental health and the causes of homelessness, but some of the most powerful learning happened during the seminars and workshops which were delivered by tenants themselves.
Continued >>
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Reflections on the conference There is an incredibly healing power in
Having the opportunity to be heard had a
having one’s story heard and being understood. Our tenants spoke courageously about their lives and their experiences of homelessness.
positive impact on their self-esteem and sense
Mandy Marshall, Co-founder of Restored, gave a thought provoking keynote speech on violence against women. Mandy explained that 155 women in the UK are turned away from refuges each week.
accessible and immediate ways they can take action that changes things.”
of being valued but also was highly impactful “Being well is the simple, original meaning of ‘salvation’. To be well in this difficult world is hard work. If you’re starting from a position of vulnerability, of ‘non-freedom’ of various sorts; if you’re starting from a position where you’ve been digesting for your whole life long the message that you don’t matter very much, then you are going to be vulnerable to failure and there are no quick fixes for that. But we are here to say as loudly and clearly as we can, that people do matter – profoundly. They matter enough for God to have taken more trouble than we can imagine for us. That’s the bottom line for all of us who believe.
for those listening. A particular highlight was the inspiring speech given by Dr Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury). His immediate, profound grasp of what Hope into Action is trying to achieve was really affirming: “What
My poor are sick because
people talk about them – but don’t listen to them.
I really admire about Hope into Action is that it has a holistic depth to it. Not just to be well and do well but to become the human being God has made us to be. The other thing I admire about Hope into Action is that it allows people in our churches to recognise they can actually do something. Quite often when I talk
“There is a place in God’s love where there are the resources for us to flourish and to be who we are meant to be and it doesn’t go away. We, all, are homeless at times in our lives, because we all of us slip away sideways out of that stream of love, hope and trust.
about issues, people say yes, but what can I do? It’s too difficult and too complicated. I guess I can pray. But I think it is wonderful when Christian individuals and communities are released into the sense that in all sorts of
No-one is born to live on and work the streets; something has gone very wrong somewhere for them to have ended up in that situation. “When we create real, life-giving, nourishing relationships among ourselves, when we reach out – especially and help to continued >>
To donate visit: hopeintoaction.uk/donate thank you
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Reflections on the conference create relationships with those who struggle – and we recognise we are all vulnerable, then together, we’re taking a step back towards that eternal home, to that place where love gives us what we need to be ourselves… Hope Into Action is a precious Gospel-shaped mixture, offering opportunities for ordinary Christians to do practical things – and I thank God for it.”
In a moving ceremony which reduced many of the conference delegates to tears, Dr Williams presented 21 awards to tenants who have successfully refrained from drugs, alcohol, remained in work, not re offended or re-established links with family over the last twelve months. For most of the award winners, this was one of the first times they had ever heard someone say ‘well done’ or express that they’re proud of them publicly.
Image: Dr Williams presented 21 awards to tenants at this year’s HiA annual conference.
If your church would like to find out more about our work and to become a Church Partner please call us on 01733 558301. We will be happy to come and talk to your church leader and congregation.
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The next Hope into Action Annual Conference is on:
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Location: Salvation Army, 1203 Bourges Boulevard, New England, Peterborough. PE1 2AU
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Monitoring our Impact Each year we measure and publish our ‘outcomes’ but we do not define our success by them. This year we went through a process of re-defining our vision, mission and aims and we have included these here as well – you will read that we define success as this:
Church volunteers, out of their pews, engaging with our tenants and our
tenants feeling LOVED.
DID YOU
KNOW? 18
Year Year Year ending ending ending 04/13 04/14 04/15
Year ending 04/16
Outcome
1st 2 years
Have maintained their tenancy
76%
97%
96%
91%
91%
“I’m doing so well. didn’t ever think that could happen”
Abstained from crime
78%
94%
92%
93%
87%
“I know God has the path for me and I want to follow it”
Volunteered, education or training
24%
39%
34%
18%
40%
“HIA have helped me find my confidence. I am working towards being work-ready by volunteering.”
Employed or training
16%
22%
32%
34%
15%
“I’ve just been given a job and I’m looking forward to living a life”
Improved social relations with their family
64%
83%
69%
59%
39%
“I am looking forward to Christmas; the first that I can spend with my children and grandchildren.”
Reduced drugs and alcohol
73%
89%
88%
87%
92%
“Relationships with different people fitting together like a jigsaw saved me”
Every donation makes a difference to us. For example a £20 donation covers the cost of moving a vulnerable person into one of our houses. £32 keeps a tenant in a house for a week. To make a donation visit: hopeintoaction.org.uk/donate
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Quote from tenant
When our tenants feel loved, we believe we have succeeded, and our theory of change is this: when people have a safe secure home and positive relationships they will find the strength, motivation and hope to turn around their lives. Our outcomes will test that theory. So - while our outcomes tell part of the story they do not tell it all. For example one of our tenants, asked within 2 days of returning to custody whether
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he could receive a visit from the vicar of his supporting church. While we were disappointed his behaviours lead him back to custody, we were pleased that he was now able to receive love, prayer and advice from an older wiser man. His relationships were richer now than when we first met him and the previous time he was convicted. This year we gave a home to 132 tenants (a 50% increase in number of tenants reached from the year before) yet our outcome statistics remain very similar to previous years. I hope this indicates 2 things: a) that our ‘theory of change’ holds some substance and b) that even as we have grown we have managed to maintain a similar measure of quality. I hope, also, it encourages you to believe your money, prayers and support is making a difference! Continued >>
If your church wants to
house the homeless, call us on 01733 558301 to discuss with us today!
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Monitoring our Impact
Cont.
What we want and how we achieve it
In the year ending April 1st 16 we have grown from 26 homes to 36. The maximum number of tenants we housed at any one time was 78. The total we housed over the course of the year was 132. This is an increase in over 50% for the previous year.
91%
39%
12 of the 132 tenants were evicted. 42 moved on well. Our average length of stay is 330 days. Of those that moved on: 9% went to a friend, 5 to a hostel, 37% to other, 25% to private rental, 2% to rehabilitation, 16% to a relative and 9% to social housing.
51 of our 132 tenants have significantly improved / repaired their relationship with their nuclear family.
Maintain tenancy
87%
Abstain from crime We housed 39 people who had previously been in custody. 4 returned to custody – one of whom then returned to our house and we continue to work with him.
Improved social relations with family
40%
Volunteered, education or training 40 of our tenants have volunteered, undertaken education or training.
15%
Got a job 20 of our 132 tenants have got a job and maintained it for more than a month.
92%
Reduced their drug intake Of our 132 tenants: 10 have worsened their use of drug or alcohol. 56 of our tenants previously had had a relationship with class a drugs or abusive relationship with alcohol: of those on 9 (7%) worsened their use. * 1) Maintaining tenancy; 2) abstaining from crime: 3) reducing alcohol and drug intake; 4) improving social relations: 6) improving financial management. 7) Spiritual engagement.
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Inmate to When I was released from prison, some members of the church met me at the gates and took me to the house. No-one had ever done that for me before and it made me feel a bit less anxious. I felt like someone actually cared about what happened to me.
reassured me that the people from Hope into Action would help support me getting back into employment. We also went through lots of other housekeeping things together like paying bills,
We arrived at the Hope into Action house and I was told that it would be my home. The house itself was so lovely. It was clean and had everything I would need. People from the church had pitched in to help furnish the house, so I had a bed to sleep on, a sofa to sit on and a table to eat at. I was surprised that people who I’d never met had obviously put in so much effort to make it feel homely for me.
For the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt
welcome and wanted.
That first night, I had a welcome meeting with Steve, the vicar of the partner church. We had a meal together, cooked by one of the volunteers at the house. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt welcome and wanted.
so that I knew exactly what needed to be paid and when. He said it might take a while for my benefits to arrive, so they gave me some Foodbank vouchers to get me through in the meantime.
Steve talked through everything with me and
I met my housemate the day I moved into the
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Housemate Hope into Action house. It felt a bit strange to suddenly be sharing a house with a complete stranger, but in some ways, I liked the fact that I wasn’t on my own. He’d been there a while, so he seeemed very much at home and said he’d show me the ropes over the next few days. I was pleased there was someone who I could ask where the nearest bus stop was and the local shop. It was an amazing feeling to have my own room for the first time in ages. Just the privacy of not having to share a bedroom felt really good. It was also really peaceful – I hadn’t realised how much the noise of the prison bothered me until I noticed the peace and quiet of the Hope into Action house. Having a bathroom felt like a bit of a luxury after sharing facilities with loads of other blokes in prison. Someone had thoughtfully provided some clean towels and toiletries for me to use, so that I could freshen up.
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It’s hard to describe how I felt the first night I slept in the Hope into Action house; I think it was a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Here I was, in my new home, living with someone I’d only met an hour or so before. Everything was different.
It was an amazing feeling to have my own room for the first time in ages.
The weirdest thing was that a bunch of complete strangers from a church I’d never been to had worked so hard to make me feel wanted and welcome. They actually seemed to care what happened to me. I wasn’t used to feeling like that. It was strange…..but I really felt touched by it.
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The Big Sleep Out
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Ways to GIVE
Facts & Figures
We strive to keep administration costs down to a minimum (and indeed believe we run at a far lower costs than other homeless charities). Nevertheless we need money to run. If you feel that this organization is something you would like to support then do please sign up here.
A One off Donation... You can make a one off donation by visiting www.hopeintoaction.org.uk/donate or you can donate by text.
How to Donate by TEXT You can now text your support for Hope into Action. It is quick and easy to donate by text. The donation is added to your next phone bill.
Christian wealth invested into homes for the homeless through Hope into Action so far...
The number of refugees in our homes .
Potential homes and churches in the pipeline!
All you need to do is send a text message to 70070 with HIAS11 followed by the amount you want to donate.
£5 £10
To make a one off donation of £5 text HIAS115 to 70070.
People sleeping in our homes tonight thanks to people like you.
The number of different Christian denominations who are partner churches.
Volunteers who currently support our tenants through partner churches. To make a regular donation simply fill in the form at the back of this publication and return it to us.
Thanks.
Attendees of our 2016 Homeless Conference.
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1. Capacity Building Award by Christian Initiative Trust. 2. Best Social Action Project in the country (Silver) as selected by Christian Donors forum. 3. Peterborough Evening Telegraph Not for Profit Award.
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To make a one off donation £10 text HIAS1110 to 70070.
Leaving a Gift in your Will Leaving a gift in your will to Hope into Action can make a positive impact on the homeless and vulnerable for generations to come.
Keep up to date with all the Hope into Action news via our Facebook page or Twitter @hopeintoaction
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What I really admire about Hope into Action is that it has a holistic depth to it. Hope into Action allows people in our churches to recognise they can actually do something.
Dr Rowan Williams speaking at the Hope into Action Homeless Conference 2016
Hope into Action, 26 North Street, Peterborough PE1 2RA E: info@hopeintoaction.org.uk T: 00 44 (0)1733 558301 W: hopeintoaction.org.uk Twitter: @hopeintoaction Facebook: www.facebook.com/hopeintoaction Registered in England and Wales No. 7309173. Registered charity No. 1137686