What we do
and why
A hand up,
not just a hand out
Caring Hands in the Community is a registered charity that has been feeding and supporting people who are homeless, vulnerable, and at the margins of the community since 2001. We have helped over 5,000 people in that time.
The need:
We are situated in the heart of an area of severe deprivation by national standards. River, the ward in which we are situated, is ranked in the 1% of most deprived areas in England and Wales1.
Medway has the largest total number of homeless people in Kent, with 860 in temporary accommodation and 14 rough sleepers according to a Shelter report in December 2016. It is ranked in the bottom 20% of districts nationally for skills and qualifications, and the proportion of working age population in long-term unemployment1.
In Autumn 2015 counts and estimates suggested there were 3,569 rough sleepers on any one night in England2. New government figures released on 28 September 2016 show that 15,170 UK households were accepted as homeless between April and June 2016, a 10% rise on the previous year3.
1 Office of National Statistics, Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2015
2 Rough Sleeping Statistics England - Autumn 2014 Official Statistics
3 Statutory homelessness and prevention and relief, April to June 2016 - DCLG
from Crisis
Bad things happen even to good people. We all have times in our lives when we need a little help. If someone hits a crisis, we provide the essentials to help them survive: hot meals and drinks, showering facilities, laundry facilities and spare clothing. Plus a friendly ear and benefits advice.
to Coping
Right from our initial assessment, we treat everyone as somebody’s daughter, somebody’s son. We care about finding the cause of their problems. Then we can help them to find a long-term solution for themselves and work towards it, rebuilding self-confidence - perhaps through experience as a volunteer, or through back-to-work courses.
Here at the Centre we eat, chat and play together: strong friendships are formed, and everyone is welcomed into our community.
to Confidence
Our aim is to empower people to achieve their full potential, and do so boldly, in the workplace and in life. We help with rebuilding self-confidence, perhaps through offering work experience as a volunteer here, or giving support with looking for apprenticeships or other employment.
We are always here to give ongoing support for as long as it is needed. Homelessness should only ever be a temporary problem.
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Our Staff
Thomas Smith
Centre Manager
Simon Lewis
Assistant Manager
Our small team is only able to run the Centre thanks to the support of volunteers who contribute 10,000 hours of their time each year. We are indebted to all of them.
Volunteer
Opening Times: Monday - Friday | 9am - 4pm
15a-16 New Road Avenue, Chatham, Kent ME4 6BA.
© King's Church Medway 2016. All rights reserved. King’s Church Medway is a Registered Charitable Company No. 8438643, Charity No. 1152477