Hope House Newsletter May 2026
Email address: contact@hopehousecfd.org
We’ve had a busy time during this last quarter, celebrating 5 years of Hope House Chesterfield! On Saturday 16 May we held a celebration event at St Thomas’ Centre – thank you to all those who came. It was very moving to hear from some of our previous residents about their experiences of Hope House and the positive life changes that have resulted. Soundbites from amongst the stories included – ‘Hope House saved my life’, ‘I was on a downward spiral until I got a place at Hope House, the staff have been amazing,’ and ‘I had nowhere and no one until I arrived at Hope House, and now I have a family’. It was a tangible way for people to witness how their money, time and prayers are literally changing lives.
Planning for the event gave us opportunity to catch up with previous residents who were happy to recount their memories and talk about how Hope House has helped them. We made some videos of them being interviewed which were shared at the celebration event, and recently a couple of previous residents have spoken to groups about their experiences of life in the house – which, in itself, shows just how far they’ve come.
As we approach 100 residents, we have recently reviewed our data regarding outcomes for previous residents over the past 5 years. We are happy to report that 77% of residents settled into accommodation after the Hope House programme, and percentages have risen year on year. We are constantly working hard to ensure positive outcomes for all, even though not all who arrive are ready for the change and some leave before new routines to be embedded. We pray for them and in some cases they return to try again. Of those who have stayed, all of them took part in some form of meaningful activity which has helped their progress, and most took part in more than one.
Our current residents are a very positive group of 12. They are busy most days and are proud of their achievements. Each has a support plan and targets, which are regularly reviewed, and our connections with professional partners in the community are growing all the time. If you know of anyone who might also be able to offer a placement to one of our residents – please be in touch.
DID YOU KNOW….. on Wednesdays, Tim from Global Adventures gives up his time to take our residents out into the country for hiking, climbing and wild swimming. This exercise is key to resident’s improved mental health and increased fitness.
With regard to finances, we are currently trying to engage additional regular donors, to keep up with the increased costs we are experiencing. We are extremely grateful to everyone who generously donates – but if you do have any contact with local businesses or organisations who might be able to help the project, please feel free to reach out to them on our behalf, or perhaps pass on contact details to us – contact@hopehousecfd.org
We are also very grateful to all those who donate food, cleaning products and toiletries to the house. If the donations include perishable foods, it’s helpful for us to know they are coming in advance, so food isn’t wasted. We do have links with local food banks for things we can’t use, but having time to plan for this is always helpful. Tins, coffee, laundry pods, toilet rolls are always useful. We tend to have enough clothing and bedding, and not much space for storage, but we will advertise on Facebook when we need more.
Our staff team continue to do well under Ryan’s leadership. We are also delighted to welcome Heather onto the board of Trustees. Heather comes with administration and operational management expertise and we are really grateful that she is joining us.
In terms of prayer requests:
-Please pray for our amazing staff team, that they have good rest periods and are blessed by the work they do.
-Please pray for more regular financial giving to help us budget for day-to-day costs.
-Please pray for housing opportunities for residents who are ready to move on.
-And finally, do pray for our previous residents, that they are remembering the good routines they learnt during their time with us.
Our next Zoom prayers will be on Monday 27 July at 7pm. A link will be sent out the week before.
That’s it for now but thank you all for your continued support.
Hope House Trustees