Southampton Friends partner with homelessness charity
Southampton Meeting House is being used by homelessness charity Society of St James
Southampton Meeting House is being used by a local homelessness charity throughout the working week.
Southampton Friends signed a five-year lease with the Society of St James (SSJ), on 22 October. The lease will give SSJ use of the Meeting house throughout the working week, while retaining full Quaker occupancy as normal every Sunday, and for a couple of Saturdays each month. The charity will use the venue to run workshops for people experiencing homelessness.
David Curtis, from Southampton Meeting, told the Friend that the partnership was agreed after ‘many months of careful planning and consultation… All existing long term room hirings are continuing as before, and we are grateful for SSJ’s great expertise and experience in taking over the management and maintenance of the building. This all feels like a responsible use of our resources, empowering the disadvantaged in our community whilst taking good care of the Meeting house as a home for future generations of Quakers,’ he said.
‘The Society of St James exists to end homelessness, person by person, by providing services to support access to accommodation and services for wellbeing, recovery from trauma and access to work. The SSJ Academy programme supports ending homelessness by meeting the physical, mental and social needs of people experiencing homelessness.’
The academy will use the Meeting house during the week to deliver workshops that develop ‘life skills, confidence, trust and self-esteem’. The new arrangement started last week on 1 November.
