Dear all,

In this revamped Gweini Housing email we have:

• Christian Third Sector work in housing and homelessness around Wales - focusing in this email on Bridgend & Newport.
• Events
• Policy issues

Christian work in housing and homelessness around Wales

Bridgend

1. The Bridgend Night Shelter recently completed their first year of operation. The project was coordinated by The Wallich, a non-religious organisation that provides accommodation and support for homeless people, and was inspired by the church-led Newport Night Shelter which started in December 2009. The Bridgend project, which ran for nine weeks over January and February this year, involved five churches and around 50 volunteers. It was open seven nights a week and provided ten beds each night, costing £4,499 altogether, including staffing costs.
2. Two churches have been providing volunteers for a weekend breakfast run in Bridgend and Porthcawl for the past two years. For more information, or if your church would like to get involved, contact Rob on robert.james [at] thewallich [dot] net.
3. Street Pastors has been operating successfully in Bridgend on a Friday and Saturday night since 2007. As they walk around the streets of Bridgend town centre, they have regularly come across rough sleepers and provided support where required.
4. Bridgend Connect is a Gweini forum that meets every two months and which brings together Christians working in the area of homelessness and housing. It also enables Christians and secular agencies to come together to tackle issues around homelessness. Contact Rob James on robert [dot] james [at] thewallich [dot] net for more information.
5. The Community Connections Project is a furniture reuse and restoration project run from Bethlehem Church Life Centre in Cefn Cribwr. Since it started in 2009, it has helped over 500 people in the area, including many who have set up new homes. For further information, contact Mike Holmes on bethlehem [at] onete [dot] com.
6. The Well Christian Centre has, since 2008, been partnering with Green Pastures, a Christian organisation that provides homes for the homeless and those most in need. They are in possession of three homes, though which they have been able to house 12 men and two families over the last two years.

Newport

1. Newport Night Shelter recently completed their 2nd year of providing shelter to the homeless in Newport during the coldest months of the year. In all, 14 churches took turns to provide a night's accommodation and food from December 2010 to March 31st this year, during which time they gave out 1,257 bed spaces. The project was coordinated by Caroline Johnson and Jade Holtham of Teen Challenge but is run, staffed and financed on by a number of different churches in Newport on a voluntary basis.
2. The Olive Branch, run by Alison Beard from Bethel Community Church, is a day centre for the homeless and vulnerably housed of Newport that opened in December 2010. It is held at the Gap Centre on Stow Hill with volunteers coming from several churches in Newport, and is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with a free meal also being provided on Friday lunchtimes for up to 50 people.
3. The Sanctuary runs on a Thursday by Claire Seymour from Bethel Community Church and is a drop-in for female refugees and asylum seekers. One of the project's aims has been to support refugees in finding and settling into new accommodation. Both the Sanctuary and the Olive Branch have recently had their profile raised through visits from Newport Council officials.
4. Salvation Army provides a lunchtime meal for homeless people (who need to be on a list) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They also provide subsidised meals at £1.50 on these days for the vulnerably housed who are not on the list and give out roughly ten food parcels a week to those who are struggling.
5. Raven House is a church-based charity that has was founded in 1992. They work with agencies that provide accommodation for homeless people and, over a given year, will serve thousands of clients, providing furniture, food, bedding, china, cutlery etc. For more information, contact Margaret Smith on contact [at] ravenhouse [dot] org.
6. Newport Street Pastors and the Newport Night Shelter both made an appearance in Newport Council's monthly newspaper Newport Matters. You can read the article Feeling safer in Newport city centre here.

Events

1. Jackie Pullinger is coming to Wales. Some of you will have read her excellent book 'Chasing the Dragon' about her extraordinary life as a missionary in Hong Kong working among gang members. She and her team will be at City Temple church in Swansea on June 14th & 15th to "equip and encourage the church in relation to addiction and to encourage those involved in addiction ministry". To find out more or to book your place, please click here.
2. The Welsh Council on Alcohol and other Drugs is holding its 3rd annual lecture on 21st June, 2011 at the Pier Head, Cardiff Bay. The topic will be "How recovery became a key player again" with guest speaker Phil Valentine, Executive Director for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery. For more information, email Wynford at info [at] welshcouncil [dot] org [dot] uk.
3. Housing Justice are holding their annual conference in London on June 15th, with tickets costing £30 (bursaries are available). The theme is: Tea and sympathy or radical action? And you can find out more here.

Policy issues

The Welsh Government currently has a consultation out on Code of guidance for local authorities on allocation of accommodation and homelessness. The closing date is June 30th and you can read it here. If you have any thoughts on this, please let them know or, if you'd prefer to be part of a joint response, then email me on j [dot] stewart [at] eauk [dot] org.