Our Opportunities Programme provides creative ways for women experiencing homelessness to take an active part, to learn, share and grow
This year for World Homeless Day, Single Homeless Project has chosen to focus on Women’s Homelessness.
Women who are homeless will often have very different routes, experiences and needs compared to men.
Figures from our Fulfilling Lives in Islington and Camden service found 95% of their female clients have experienced domestic violence. Many of the women we support will have mental health needs due to additional trauma from childhood, homelessness and the possible removal of children from their care.
Despite this, conventional homelessness pathways are still generally designed for men, meaning women may often struggle to engage with support on offer. As an organisation, we have been working to adapt our support, using a gender-informed approach to identify strategies and elements to better support women facing homelessness, addressing their specific needs and unique trauma.
Our Opportunities Programme provides collaborative and creative ways for people experiencing homelessness to take an active part, to learn, share and grow.
We offer a diverse and engaging range of social, therapeutic, and skills-based activity and group work. This so often serves as a turning point for people, building on their strengths and talents and enabling positive life experiences, healthy relationships and a renewed sense of hope, confidence and possibility.
For World Homeless Day 2021 we’ve decided to shine a light on the positive Women stories and experiences within the Opportunities Programme.
ArtHouse Project
Arthouse is a diverse and dynamic programme that enables both a supportive entry point to the arts and exposure to different mediums and creatives, with a view to supporting artistic development and the collective showcasing of people’s talent, expression and imagination.
This year we launched the Scottish Power funded Creative Industries Project (CIP) The Project enhances the connection between SHP’s art-based programme – ArtHouse and SHP’s employment initiative – Achieving Potential.
The collaboration empowers clients through the provision of training courses, employability support and work placements, to support people moving further along the road of education and employment within the creative industries in London.
Our first round of courses supported a group of eight women to take part in our Jewellery Academy with social enterprise Pivot.
Over the course of eight weeks the group learned how to design, make and sell pieces of jewellery and create a group collection to be sold in person and online.
The collection named and branded by the participants, ‘Alnisa’ means women in Arabic.
To celebrate the jewellery collection and the end of the course, participants worked with the facilitators to run a pop-up market stall in London. Despite the rain, It was a successful day and the Etsy shop will be launched soon!
(I found the course) “supportive and confidence building”
“This course has given me more inspiration to start my own business”
“I hope to continue to learn jewellery making and work in this field”
Sport Project
Our Sport Project transforms the lives of homeless and vulnerable people through sport and physical activity.
The programme inspires people to be more active; in order to improve mental and physical health, reduce isolation and boost self-esteem and overall quality of life.
It provides a wide range of sports and physical activities, from football, rock climbing and boxing to more moderate activities such as aerobics and yoga.
This Summer our Sport Manager, Sam Sainsbury, shared a lovely story of working with client Nikki.
“We’ve been trying to get her on the bikes for two years, but she’s been a bit anxious and didn’t think she could do it after not cycling for years. Then last week she asked if we could take her out and teach her again, and within minutes she was jetting round Battersea Park shouting ‘Look at me Sam, I’m cycling!’
Our Breaking The Cycle Project offers clients the opportunity to work on their cycling skills, as well as a bike maintenance programme for those who are interested in building and maintaining a bike. The skills learned in this Programme builds confidence not only in cycling but also in the day-to-day life of clients, improving self esteem and overall wellbeing.
GreenHouse Project
Our GreenHouse Project works to help people connect with their environment, to appreciate, care and cultivate growth for themselves as well as our gardens and green spaces.
Everyone knows gardening and exploring London’s green space keeps you fit, but spending quality time outdoors can also have enormous benefits for mental wellbeing, personal development and recovery.
As well as the chance to learn practical skills, and link the food growing we do with cooking and promoting a healthy diet, our GreenHouse sessions help people reduce isolation and build confidence from being part of something.
Last Autumn a client from our GreenHouse Project - Redbridge Allotment shared a beautiful poem about her time spent at the SHP Green-space and how it made a positive impact on her life.
The Allotment
By: Jacqui
I am sitting over the allotment of fruit and veg
In Redbridge
I am doing some planting
Bulbs and seeds in the flower beds
I am taking in the sounds and smells that
Are around me
I am hearing the trees blowing
A cold breeze blowing my hair off my face
My hands are getting dirty by digging up the seeds or bulbs in the ground
My mind is clear from all the troubles that are going on in my present time
I really enjoyed myself over there
It is a release
From the hostel life and all my stress
And worries that are going on
The seeds and the bulbs will be done for spring/summer
Next year
And look lovely
All the different colours and smells
You can read more about how Single Homeless Project supports women experiencing homelessness HERE
And learn more about how women experience homelessness from our Psychological Therapies Manager, Nicola, HERE
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