Happy Days Cycles is now at Unit 16, Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre
A charity which helps homeless people with housing and provides a path back towards work has a new home for its cycle saleroom and repair shop.
Happy Days is a community housing project which currently not only provides a home for 11 men who were living rough on the streets of Calderdale but also training in bike repairs and help getting back into work.
With more than 100 bikes of different types, including BMX, mountain bikes and racers, Happy Days Cycles is now much closer to Halifax town centre, having moved from the Threeways Centre at Ovenden to its new home at Unit 16 at Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre.
Happy Days founder David Fawcett said the new premises were more accessible to customers and its homeless clients alike.
“We’re hoping the public will start coming in to buy bikes here and they are also available on Ebay and Gumtree online,” he said.
David said Happy Days, which has been running for a year, provided a path whereby homeless people could move off the streets and through its night shelter into community housing, encouraged volunteering for projects like recycled cycles and prepared them for work.
The cycles are donated to the charity, repaired and overhauled by the team under trainer Bob Arnold and readied for sale. Happy Days Cycles also undertakes bike servicing and can accept donations if you don’t want a cycle but would like to support the project.
“They are trained to fix the bikes properly and we also run one-weekend courses where our guys learn intensively how to fix bikes. Happy Days has been going great and we have had a tremendous response from the public, supporting what we’re doing in the town,” he said.
The next training course is on March 13 and you can get details by calling 01422 399520
The re-launch of YPASS in their new Northgate premises.
A new service helping young people at risk of homelessness in Calderdale has been re-launched.
Young Person’s Prevention and Support Service (YPASS), will now be run by Horton Housing Association from new premises in Northgate.
The service offers support to young people aged 16-19 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Working in partnership with a variety of agencies, YPASS aims to build independent living skills – those who use the service are supported to access grants, training and education, help with jobs and CVs as well as mediation for young people experiencing difficulties at home.
Vicky Bogg, scheme manager at YPASS, said: “Helping young people really makes the job worthwhile. We love doing what we do and we are passionate about giving people the support they need and getting them into appropriate accommodation.”
Corina Quick, 20, received help from the scheme.
“I moved out of home when I was 16 and I didn’t get the support I needed and got myself into a lot of debt,” she said.
“But the scheme has really helped me – I got a new tenancy and I’ve now got a home where I feel safe.
Steven Windsor Halifax Giving Extra Awards local winner
A former homeless man and Street Angel has been recognised for his voluntary work by Halifax bank after winning an award.
Steve Windsor has won a Halifax Giving Extra Award for his volunteering efforts with Halifax Street Angels, Calderdale Food and Support Drop-In Centre, and Inn Churches – a night shelter provision for the homeless, after being nominated by Halifax Street Angel project manager Ellis King.
Steve, who was once sleeping rough, has turned his life full circle after using Halifax’s food and support centre, at the Ebenezer Centre, Pellon Lane.
Mr King said: “He is a local inspiration. Steve gives all his time to help vulnerable people in need.”
Steve supports people with addictions and helps homeless individuals find housing.
He said: “Winning came as a shock, I’ve never won anything before. I feel ecstatic and proud of this achievement – it’s boosted my confidence and I feel proud to tell people I’m a winner. The praise I’ve received from friends and Halifax staff has been wonderful.
“This award has shown me good things do happen to people like me who give their time to good causes.”
Steve was one of 67 local Giving Extra winners.
Director of Halifax Community Bank David Nicholson said: “It was difficult to choose 67 winners because we received so many incredible nominations. However, the work Steve has done for vulnerable people in his community really caught our panel’s attention and we wanted to recognise him with this award.”
Each winner received £250 in vouchers.
All 67 local winners will have a chance to become one of seven regional winners – the national winner of the Halifax Giving Extra Awards will be announced in February and the winner will receive £2,500 in vouchers and a £5,000 donation to a local good cause of their choice.
Kind-hearted Dalton pupils with their gifts for homeless folk.
Dalton Junior, Infant and Nursery School children enjoyed an inspiring assembly involving 37-year-old journalist, script writer and producer Danny Wallace.
It is the 10th anniversary of the media star deciding to invite people to join him to see what would happen.
When masses of people turned up he asked them to do something nice for somebody they didn’t know for nothing in return.
This must have got Year 6 thinking and they decided amongst themselves that they would bring in food to give to homeless people.
There were also toiletries and unwanted Christmas gifts.
Anna Bradnum, Year 6 teacher, took these items to ‘Inn churches homeless shelter’ in Calderdale where she met a few of the workers and recipients and had a look at the work they do.
She relayed to Year 6 how grateful these people were and what a big difference their small kindness would have on their lives.
The children have decided to carry on their kindness every Friday.
Dean Clough apprentices have been cooking for Calderdale’s homeless at a Halifax night shelter.
For three weeks running on a Thursday evening young apprentice chefs have given their time to feed homeless men and women staying in night shelter accommodation through Inn Churches – a charitable scheme offering shelter to the homeless from January 3 – March 3.
Apprentice chef Miles Aaron, 17, said: “It was really nice to do something different and give time to people who need it. We made crumble – a hearty dish – to keep people warm.”
Dean Clough chef Dominic Hirst said: “It’s been a great experience for all of us. It was a bit of a Ready Steady Cook challenge as we collected donated tinned food and created hearty meals from that.
“We hope it makes a small difference in our area and plan to do this instead of a Christmas card every year.”
Dean Clough’s Harriet Welford-Turpin said: “Our young apprentices are learning to become professional chefs and it is good for them to experience different environments and different customers for the food they cook.”
Inn Churches organiser David Fawcett thanks Dean Clough for their generosity
Michelle Foster, chief operating officer at the Basement Recovery Project, Halifax.
It is two years since I last wrote to thank your readers for their support for The Basement Recovery Project, and much has changed in that time. Not least that we have celebrated our fifth birthday in 2013, something we never imagined when we started out in 2007 as a group advocating for people with drug and alcohol problems and homelessness issues.
Today we have a new home on Carlton Street, which is a Recovery and Community Hub offering a safe and supportive environment for those who wish to change their lives for the better. Today we continue to support those who are marginalised from society and show them that community does exist, which is especially important in these challenging times of reforms and austerity.
We continue to provide food and support to over 100 people per week through our Breakfast Clubs and our Recovery Services, and over the last 12 months we have seen an increase in the numbers of people coming through both services. Through the coming winter period, we will be home for people who have no home as we will be working with Churches Together to provide emergency hostel accommodation should people find themselves in need.
2013 has been a significant year in our ambitions to build bridges between the recovery community and the wider community. We have been fortunate to have ‘Basement Jive’ at the Recovery Hub, which has introduced people in recovery to dance, meeting a range of health and well-being needs and providing a social activity without the need for using alcohol or drugs. More importantly it has offered a bridge to the wider community and developed friendships amongst people who would not ordinarily have acknowledged each other. In all, it has been an amazing way to challenge stigma.
At this festive time, I would like to thank everyone who has supported the project and individuals throughout the year. The Basement Recovery Project ethos is one of ‘giving back’, and as our community has grown over the last five years, the list of supporters has become extensive, from Mrs McGinley and her family who fundraise for the project and have given 2 special presents to our breakfast club clients, to our people in recovery who have used the services then become volunteers and fundraisers themselves. I would also like to extend our thanks to the ladies, Danielle, Claire and Vikki who have organised our fundraisers for others such as ‘The Race for Life’ and Overgate Hospice, as well as for our own services and activities. We have also been fortunate to be supported by Sainsburys, Provident Insurance, Lloyds Banking Group, The Bearder Trust, The Christiandelphinian Church, Ziggys, the Rotary Club, Mrs Holdsworth and, Al Fresco Catering, all of whom are now part of our community.
I would also like to thank the Halifax Courier who wrote a wonderful piece for the project earlier this year. We are fortunate that your paper and its readers have recognised that addiction and exclusion can affect anyone and everyone. People don’t have to think too hard to know that we all have someone in our extended family or work community who may need the support of services such as ours. In 2011, I wrote about ‘a society should measure its success on the way it treats its poorest’, and today I believe that the people in Calderdale have taken this on board. The Basement Recovery Project may have begun as a group who worked for the voices of the excluded to be heard, but today I am happy to say that we are being heard. Our final thanks therefore go to the statutory services, Calderdale MBC and Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group who continue to support the project and help us to make the difference in people’s lives.
On Wednesday 18th December we held our annual Christmas Party and received a visit from Father Christmas who gave out gifts to the children from our recovery community. Today, these children will have a happier and safer Christmas because of all our collective support in making a difference to the lives of people with the illness of addiction. More significant though, these children will be the adults of tomorrow who we hope will have more prosperous, happy and healthier lives making Calderdale a better place to live.
Hi, my name is Katie. I am going to tell you my life over the past year. I move into supported lodgings after my 16th birthday because of problems at home and constant moving in and out of family members. I have sisters and brothers this made it ever so hard to get on with everyone.
I went to the Connexions Centre in Halifax as I had nowhere to go and needed to speak to someone. They introduced me to a Young People’s Service Key Worker. He then took me up to Supported Lodgings where I met one of their workers. She explained what Supported Lodgings was and I thought it sounded like the right place for me. They take their time to find the right placement for you and the first time I met my provider I felt scared, but she made me feel welcome and like I could fit in there and it could work. I moved in and although it’s not always been easy I have been happy there and learnt a lot.
During this time I changed from having a Key Worker to having a Youth Worker from Youth Works. She set me up a CAF (Common Assessment Framework), which means that all the people working with me all meet together and talks about the good things and things that can be improved. I have found this useful because I understand what everyone is doing and who is doing what. I feel happy to have that support. I have been doing 1-1 sessions with my Youth Worker working on my confidence and lots of other things.
Since I moved out I have changed a lot and learned loads of new skills with the help of my Youth Worker, my Supported Lodgings worker and college.
I think with all the support I have I am ready for the next stage and think that I will be alright to live on my own. I thank everyone who supported me.
Following on from the assessment process, Katie moved into Supported Lodgings with Barbara and Geoffrey, with Barbara as the lead Supported Lodgings Host. Katie relays that she felt settled quite quickly, but there were areas of her life she struggled with such as who to access for support. Katie had a wide network of excellent support but would go to each agency asking for support for the same matters. This was a confusing situation for Katie and at the time was a barrier to her settling in. Sarah from Youth Works, along with Pam (Supported Lodgings Project Worker) identified the usefulness of a CAF for Katie. Katie was really on board with this and Sarah became the lead professional for Katie’s CAF. As a result of this, Katie receives effective and co-ordinated support from a range of professionals including school, us, Youth Works and other youth services. This has given Katie the best possible support around keeping safe, opportunities with community activities and progression with her education. As a result of this co-ordinated approach, Katie is much more settled and is feeling in control of her life events.
Barbara supports Katie on a day to day basis; Barbara is a listening ear and has helped Katie develop her independent living skills such as cooking and laundry. Barbara has helped Katie to develop her confidence and coping strategies around developing her independence within the home. Katie is now actively working on her move on plan and is preparing herself for life after Supported Lodgings.
Supported Lodgings Host – Barbara’s perspective:
My name is Barbara and I am the Supported Lodgings Host for Katie. I think Supported Lodgings has been really good for Katie. I feel that when she first came, Katie had a lot of situations that needed support with and I feel it initially took a little while to settle down around this.
I feel a consistent approach from me as her Host and all her support network has helped Katie manage her life. Geoffrey and I are able to give Katie a safe, supportive and peaceful home life which has given her an opportunity to work though her support needs.
Katie is a respectful lodger and easy to talk to. Helping Katie to develop as the young person she is has been very rewarding.
We are in the process of developing our new Homelessness Strategy and would welcome your attendance at a Stakeholder Event that will consider some of the key issues in Calderdale. The event will be held in the morning of 22nd January at Heath Training Centre. A programme for the morning and a map showing the location of Heath training Centre are attached.
