Meaningful Activity for Homeless People
It isn't about killing time - it's about making time live.
Meaningful Activity for Homeless People
It isn't about filling time; it provides ways for people to become engaged in the world and rediscover themselves. We believe that getting people engaged in activities is a route to self-esteem and motivation, as well as building skills and experience.
Meaningful Occupation
Some of the great projects we have had in the last year:
- Trainee Volunteer Program: An opportunity for clients to volunteer in our day centre, help us to deliver services while they build interpersonal and employment skills and get valuable experience.
- Dellowcentric: A newsletter written and edited by clients, for clients. This provides a platform for people to express their experience of the streets or just to have their say about a subject. Also included is art work and photos from the art workshop. A website to accompany the newsletter will be launched soon!
- Bikeworks workshops: clients learn to assemble and service bicycles and on its completion of the course they keep the bicycle: giving them a valuable mode of transport and a way to stay active. Clients are then able to continue onto the 12 week city and guilds qualification in bike mechanics and teaching cycle proficiency
- Employment Workshop: delivered with Primus, this focuses primarily on UK citizens and those from Eastern Europe. It is particularly important for the Eastern Europeans, many of whom have no recourse to public funds and need employment to find funds for housing.
- Art workshops: We have expanded these to including a specific photography course and multimedia skills. Client work is regularly exhibited and clients are also taken to view local galleries.
- IT café and workshops: – with IT suites in both the Dellow and the Satellite Centres, people can learn new skills, search the web and stay in touch with loved ones.
- Open Film: – a weekly film club which takes place every Wednesday at our Satellite Centre. Run by Open House Film Club showing a variety of films as well as talks from people in the film industry.
- Short film making: - As part of the Open House Film Club we run a short film making course where clients chose the subject, shoot and edit the film which is then shown at a Gala evening.
- Street League: – includes football training sessions as well as opportunities to take part in five-a-side league days. In conjunction with Centrepoint and West Ham FC, coaches hold sessiona with under 25’s. Sport is obviously a chance to exercise as well as a great way to engage clients and introduce employability opportunities.
- Theatre and Performing Arts: – With help by Cardboard Citizens, we run regular workshops that give clients the opportunity to take part in music and theatre. In particular we run a samba drumming workshop and Circus Skills workshop. Also we host the Cardboard Citizens annual play which is acted by people who have experienced homelessness.
Also in this section
Bike Workshops
Art Workshops