Working in partnership, local homeless charity Turning Tides, and Horsham District Council have been developing a new innovative service to support people who are experiencing homelessness.
The ground-breaking new service is situated at Roffey Place in north Horsham and is set to accommodate in the region of 50 local single homeless people at a time.
The charity is now appealing for extra public support as they strive to raise £210k to complete and open the service – which is unique and unprecedented in Sussex – ahead of Christmas. To make a financial donation and to find out how your money can make a difference to local people facing homelessness this winter, please visit the Turning Tides website.
In addition to funding support, Turning Tides have also published a Christmas Wish List for people to donate items needed for the new service, also available on the charity’s website.
The service will provide high-support accommodation for up to 50 people at a time alongside a range of on-site facilities providing an innovative holistic approach supporting people to rebuild their lives after the trauma of homelessness.
Located at Roffey Place, it is a former bible college, which is being leased to Turning Tides. Turning Tides run over 30 different projects across West Sussex helping people out of homelessness and have been working in the sector for 30 years. The charity is now racing to extensively refurbish and recreate the site, which has been unoccupied for some time, to provide this pioneering and transformative service in time for some residents to move in before Christmas.
Commenting on the initiative Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Protection Cllr Tricia Youtan said:
“I am delighted that Roffey Place is now nearing its completion.
“My thanks go out to the many people who have worked so tirelessly to bring about this amazing facility which is set to turn around the lives of so many local homeless people in the Horsham District.
“If you feel you are in a position to donate either money, items or your time to help us over the line with this accommodation then it would be most gratefully received.
“Roffey Place, when fully operational, will ensure that going forward there is no need for anyone in our District to sleep rough or be homeless, but to be placed in this new accommodation with professional support and a true sense of community, which will help them to succeed when they eventually move on to their own permanent residential accommodation.”
Roffey Place is also recruiting keyworkers and specialists for the new project and welcome applications from people who may not have historically worked in a homelessness service but have transferable skills and wish to make a difference.
Roffey Place will include 24-hour onsite support, including mental health and counselling, medical help via a clinical room, substance misuse specialists, a wellbeing and sensory suite, digital inclusion, help with training, employment and managing finances, a commercial kitchen to learn cooking skills, carpentry, craft and furniture renovation workspaces, outdoor therapy spaces, gardening skills, an allotment, beehives, yoga, mindfulness and more. Residents are anticipated to stay for approximately 6-9 months and then move on to independent living or a lower support service.
John Holmstrom, Chief Executive of Turning Tides added:
“We are seeing a huge rise in need for our services across West Sussex as the cost- of- living crisis hits our local communities.
“Consequently, we are working at pace to open this vital service in time for the harsh winter months and know that it will save lives – and transform lives – as people have much-needed space, safety and support to find a way out of homelessness.
“We are deeply committed to doing everything we can to support as many people as possible through the very difficult times ahead and we are delighted to be working in partnership with Horsham District Council in this way.”
Permission for the project has been granted by Horsham District Councillors and Horsham District Council are key partners in the project. The Council has supported the application from inception and have been instrumental in bringing it to fruition. Council officers from multiple teams have pulled out all the stops to work with Turning Tides as part of their ongoing commitment to support local people experiencing homelessness. The Council has helped by committing £100k towards the project and the charity are seeking support to raise a further £210k.
Image gallery
One of the finished bedrooms at Roffey Place
Horsham District Council officers and councillors with members of Turning Tides at Roffey Place