The successful applicant will be expected to work collaboratively with Freedom colleagues and partners within the Rough Sleeper Service to engage with service users, listen to them to understand their needs, and provide practical and emotional support that will encourage and enable them to take control of their lives and make positive forward steps.
Outreach team in the news
Early one morning the cameras from BBC Spotlight followed one of our Outreach Teams as they checked on local rough sleepers.
Later, the cameras caught up with the Outreach Team back at the Freedom Centre in the second part of this BBC Spotlight feature:
Freedom Centre mentioned in Parliament
I was glad to have the opportunity to ask the Housing Minister @ChrisPincher a question in the Chamber today regarding the end of the moratorium on evictions. pic.twitter.com/y5UhB1k972
— Selaine Saxby MP (@SelaineSaxby) July 22, 2020
We feel very blessed to have been mentioned yesterday in Parliament by our local MP Selaine Saxby and the Housing Minister Chris Pincher. We have such a dedicated team of staff and wonderful partners here at the Freedom Centre working together to deliver help to those in most need across North Devon. ‘Thank you’ to Selaine and all of our supporters for your encouragement for our work here!
– Roger Bartlett, Operations Manager.
In February we were pleased to welcome Selaine Saxby, newly elected MP for North Devon, at the Freedom Centre.
Here’s what she says about the visit on her Facebook page:
“Today I have met with Philip Noall, Chief Executive of the Freedom Community Alliance, most commonly known as The Freedom Centre in Barnstaple. It was great to see and hear all the excellent work being done by the centre to support those rough sleeping in the area, and also those with complex mental health and addiction issues.
“The Freedom Centre have integrated many local services to provide a wrap-a-round approach to ensure that those in our community who may need support and are sleeping on the streets are able to access it all within one facility. Working within the team at the centre are North Devon Council, mental health professionals, healthcare workers and addiction specialists this local charity is doing invaluable work to try and reduce rough sleeping in our community.
“My time at the centre today, reinforced that the issues around rough sleeping are far more complex than just finding someone new accommodation and we are very fortunate to have such an excellent facility here in Barnstaple, which is so well supported by our local community. Thank you to the team there for everything they do!”
Have you #GotTheBottle?
Even the warm summer weather can bring its share of problems, and especially to vulnerable people living on the street.
If you see this ‘refill’ logo in a shop window, they will fill your reusable water bottle for free! When we last checked, over 30 businesses in Barnstaple had signed up and over 40 in Bideford/Northam.
We can all save money, stay hydrated and help prevent plastic pollution at source. Get the Refill app to find your nearest station today.
NCS students tackle homelessness
We would just like to say a massive thank you to the NCS students who all came together as a team and chose to tackle homelessness in North Devon as their project. They have all worked so hard fundraising to create care packages for our rough sleepers and vulnerable community.
Bag packing at Asda for donations and a successful quiz night saw them raise an incredible £665! The 93 care packages (we have already given out 20+) contain essentials such as toiletries, refillable water bottles, treats and leaflets. On top of the care packages, they have donated clothes, shoes and food which will be such a blessing to the community that we support.
Once again guys, thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to the project, from all of us here at The Freedom Centre.