We are the first port of call for people in crisis, and there are increasingly more people coming to us every day looking for support. As well as sleeping on the streets, many are sofa surfing or at risk of becoming homeless in the next few weeks. Providing life’s basics – hot food and access to bathroom and laundry facilities – we are a safe refuge away from the chaos of street life.
But we are also more than that; we provide access to vital healthcare, support for addiction and mental health, support with navigating the housing system and form-filling for benefits and support developing life skills. We are currently supporting 30 people aged between 25 and 57, and we are at capacity for our resources.
Why are people homeless?
People become homeless for many reasons: family breakdown, domestic or sexual abuse, young people unable to cope with transitioning from care or veterans living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The list goes on. These people often have complex needs due to their negative experiences, which can lead to alcohol and substance misuse.
Sometimes, it is just tragic circumstances. Recently, we helped Paul who came to us at the end of last year when he was suddenly made homeless after a heart-breaking loss. When his father became ill, Paul gave up his private rental to move in to care for him. Sadly, his father died and Paul was informed that he could not transfer the lease to his name. Paul was evicted and at the age of 50, was sleeping on the street for two months while we helped find him permanent accommodation.
How are we different?
First and foremost, we listen to people’s stories with compassion and empathy. In doing so, we garner trust. For people who have been constantly let down by statutory services, trust is a huge barrier to overcome.
Once we have gained someone’s trust, we work with them to create a personalised development plan to help them achieve a brighter future. This may include bringing in partners to deliver essential health and support services or teach life skills such as literacy or cooking. Our team also run creative activities and help develop other skills, such as explaining how to set up an email account on a phone. Developing life skills in an informal setting helps build self-esteem and self-reliance.
Service delivery changes
Since receiving our Markel 3rd Sector Care Award in 2023, we have undergone some service delivery changes. Following a temporary closure at the end of 2023 due to challenges posed by people taking advantage of our open-door policy and a spate of
anti-social behaviour, we now operate under a referral-only system – managed in partnership with Shropshire Council’s Rough Sleeping Team. This means a person signs a contract that they will engage with our services. This fosters a more structured and supportive environment for those seeking assistance, and the results speak for themselves.
In the past 12 months, we have helped over 20 people move into their own homes. People using our services are feeling better supported by a clear system of support with a one-to-one support worker who creates a personalised plan to move people forward with whatever challenges they face. The Ark has served over 2,500 meals in the last year and made an incredible 54,600 cups of tea! Furthermore, there has been a fall in anti-social behaviour and crime rates in the vicinity of our day centre, as reported by West Mercia Police.
Positive impacts on health and mental health
One of the biggest impacts of our service is the positive impact on health and mental health. For whatever reason, people experiencing homelessness or other vulnerable people are intimidated by or do not feel comfortable accessing health and care services through usual routes.
By having the healthcare services in-house, particularly a GP clinic, conditions such as cancer, trench foot and mental health issues are identified early, and treated appropriately to prevent further deterioration. Other health services include the Hep C team regularly testing people for hepatitis, a mobile dental clinic, Shropshire Council’s RESET team and other counselling service providers.
We also support and encourage people to attend a regular health screening. For instance, women experiencing homelessness are less likely to attend breast screening appointments than the general population. According to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities 2024, 37% had attended a screening compared with 62% in the general population (of those eligible) in England as of 2018-21.
We estimate that operating our in-house health services and encouraging people to go to a health screening is saving the NHS an average of £12k per person. This is in terms of missed appointments, fewer ambulance callouts/A&E attendants, early detection of health conditions and mental health intervention, preventing deterioration and relapse. Unfortunately, the funding for our in-house GP clinic has recently ended, and we are currently seeking options to continue this vital service.
Ongoing collaboration
Legislation states that if a three-day period of below-zero temperatures is predicted, councils must put in place a safe space for people to sleep inside. In Shropshire, we do not wait for three nights; the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is activated on the first night. Accommodation is not a service we provide, but our recent collaboration with Shropshire Council’s Rough Sleeping Team has meant that rather than using hotels, the council uses the space on our ground floor as emergency accommodation when SWEP is activated.
The benefits of this include people staying in a safe, reliable and trusted environment, the collaborative work between the teams enables information sharing and processes are simplified and clearer to people who are sleeping on our streets. Plus, while we are receiving some funding when SWEP is activated, it is still more cost effective for the council to use our premises than pay for hotel rooms.
Impact of winning the award
As a charity, we provide employment to 11 people and like many other charities, we have additional financial pressures to meet the other announcements made in the Autumn Budget. This is at a time when we are seeing an increase in people needing our help. We never charge for our day centre services, and while the Government announced in the Budget it had allocated initially £10m, and more recently another £1bn, of new funding next year to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness, it is going directly to local authorities to allocate.
As a small charity, winning this award is more than a trophy on a shelf – it is a huge recognition of the work of our staff and team of over 40 volunteers, who in partnership with other organisations support and give opportunities to the vulnerable in our local community. Furthermore, as the awards have been judged by a panel of experienced and respected sector professionals, the award has added credibility and enhanced our reputation; in this competitive market for funding, it potentially helps when funders are looking for differentiators when making their decisions.
We greatly encourage small charities to enter these awards; they recognise that the work you do to make a difference to lives at a local level is just as important as that of the national charities, and that we all play a role in making society a better place. Good luck to this year’s finalists!
The Markel 3rd Sector Awards 2025 will take place on Friday 14th March 2025 at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham. Book your tickets today!
Abbie King is Charity Director at The Shrewsbury Ark. Email: [email protected] X: @shrewsburyark