Hope House Newsletter February 2025
Please note our new email address: contact@hopehousecfd.org
Happy New Year supporters! Here is our latest news.
Christmas was a very special time again at the house. Although it is often a difficult period for some, the household try to make new memories and support one another. The residents began celebrations by hosting a Carol Service for those they have been working with. This included prayers, and testimonies from some of the men, as well as some joyous singing and hot drinks in the back yard. Christmas Day involved the usual dinner together, cooked by manager Ryan, and all ingredients generously provided by local charity Help the Homeless once again.
DID YOU KNOW? There is group of anonymous sponsors attached to each room in the house, who provide birthday and Christmas gifts to the resident in that room. We are so grateful for this support and the residents are always moved by people’s kindness and care for them.
Since our last bulletin we have had to say some difficult goodbyes and welcomed some new people to the Hope House family. In November we were all devastated by the death of one of our residents. It was a very difficult period for the house and yet a time when everyone pulled together. We were able to support the resident’s family and attend the funeral and we continue to keep an eye on each other.
Another difficult goodbye was to Paul, a Hope House trustee who was involved long before we opened, he project managed the refurbishment and dealt with ongoing property maintenance. Paul has now moved out of the area to live closer to family. We are grateful for his gentle support of the residents and staff, and his wisdom on the board of trustees.
We have, however, been delighted to welcome Liam, a new trustee to the board and are grateful for his commitment already to the project. In addition, we welcome Roy to the staff team – he has now completed all his training and quickly building up relationships with the residents. And finally, we welcome a new volunteer who is offering 1-1 literacy support to the residents, which is a wonderful skill to share.
DID YOU KNOW? All our staff undergo a package of training which is updated every three years – these include safeguarding, fire safety, first aid, conflict resolution and equality and diversity, and your financial support goes towards ensuring that our staff are as prepared as possible for the demands of their work.
Last year we put out a plea for more people to donate regularly as our costs were growing rapidly with the cost-of-living increases. We are delighted to announce that we did see an upturn in giving last year and are so very grateful for this assistance. It’s meant that we can continue to offer every room in the house and have remained full over the winter months.
DID YOU KNOW? It costs £4,500 each week to run the project, and we are dependent on £1,200 per week from donations.
If you are a praying person, these are our current prayer requests:
– Please pray for the mental health of our residents and that they can receive the support they need.
– Please pray for more ‘moving on’ options for residents who are ready for the next step.
– Please pray for ex-residents, that they continue their good habits and keep in touch when they need support.
– Please continue to pray for financial giving as costs continue to rise.
That’s all for now! Please know, we appreciate your support all the more in these challenging days, thank you for your time, money and prayers.
Hope House Trustees