Issue 020 - December 2015

shekinah news

“Hi, my name is Rosie and I am 4 years old.  My mum is helping me write this note.  You’ll need lots of stuff because you live out in the road and I hope you find a place soon.  I feel sad that you’re out in the wet cold and I hope a builder can come and build a house for you.”  Rosie x

Contents Page 2

Charities Join Forces

Page 3

Well done Connie

Page 4

Employability

Page 5

Places of change / Woman’s Space

Page 6

An update from Torbay

Page 7 - 8From Homelessness to the House of Commons Page 9

Plymouth Clarion Male Voice Choir

Page 10 Charity shop update Page 11 Plymouth University/ Peninsula School of Medicine & Dentistry Page 12 Gifting to a charity Page 13 Another successful helping hands day / Big Swim Page 14 Menu for change

Editor - Helen Pearce Photos - Tom Coghill Photographic Editor - Holly Martin

A message from Chief Executive Shekinah John Hamblin I guess like many readers I have fond childhood memories of Christmas. The excitement of writing my Christmas list, putting up the decorations, school holidays and then Christmas day itself. They were good times for me and my family and I now look back realising how fortunate we were. Even in my childhood my parents who were both members of a local Church enjoyed bringing strangers home for lunch and Christmas time was no different. We used to live not far away from an alcohol treatment centre that my Dad was involved in when he worked for the Probation Service. Christmas time was always a time that he would invite back a number of the residents to our home for lunch. I guess even then I realised that for many of the "strangers" sitting opposite me, Christmas time was a particularly difficult time for them. Whilst my brother, sister and I would be playing with our presents or just being a nuisance, the visitors would be looking and longing to be with their own children. Fast forward many years and I now find myself doing what my parents did albeit, sadly on a larger scale. Shekinah will be very busy this Christmas with a range of events for the many people who will come to us. This year we are hosting our first ‘12 days of Christmas’ campaign, where we will be offering a number of different events, meals and activities, many of which will be delivered by volunteers. This campaign has been made possible by the ongoing support we have received from many people reading this, and I would really like to thank you for your ongoing support. Whilst we know that for some people homelessness is 365 days a year and not just at Christmas, it is a time of year that we all enjoy at Shekinah. Watching people have fun and seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they open the gifts that have been donated, still brings a lump to my throat. So I guess when I look back at my childhood and think about the best present my parents gave me, it was never what was under the tree, it was the strangers that they brought into our home. 1

Charities join forces to get Devon homeless people back into work “Devon-based charity Shekinah is to work together with national homelessness charity Crisis to help more homeless people back into work in Plymouth and Torbay, it was announced today.” Shekinah has 10 years’ experience helping homeless people back into employment in the South West, while Crisis works across the UK in eight different regions and is keen to work in partnership where its support and expertise can help homeless people rebuild their lives. Crisis Chief Executive Jon Sparkes said: “Shekinah has a very impressive track record of getting homeless people back into work, financial independence and out of homelessness for good. I’m excited about us working together to bolster those achievements, learn from each other and help more homeless people in Devon turn their lives around.” Shekinah CEO John Hamblin said: “Over the years Shekinah has always placed huge value in its partnership work. With Shekinah and Crisis working together to

deliver employment services in Plymouth, it can only benefit other services, local communities and most importantly the people we continue to support.” Crisis will provide a new Work and Learning Coach to work at Shekinah. The post will help Shekinah continue its work building relationships with local employers, while giving homeless people the skills and confidence to return to work. Crisis Changing Lives grants will also be made available to provide money for homeless people to set up their own business, or purchase the tools to become selfemployed. Due to funding cuts the employment services offered by Shekinah were under threat. The partnership with Crisis will allow their work to get homeless people back into jobs to continue.

Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. Our purpose is to end homelessness. Homelessness is devastating, leaving people vulnerable and isolated.  We believe everyone deserves a place to call home and the chance to live a fulfilled and active life. Crisis helps people rebuild their lives through housing, health, education and employment services. We work with thousands of homeless people across the UK and have ambitious plans to work with many more. We currently offer services in Birmingham, Coventry, Edinburgh, London, Merseyside, Newcastle, Oxford and South Yorkshire. We are also determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and to change the way society and government thinks and acts towards homeless people.

For further information call 020 7426 3880 or email [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call: 07973 372587

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Well done Connie!!! A former homeless woman has turned her life around after beating a drug and alcohol addiction and going on to become a selfe m p l o y e d labourer. Just one year ago, 26-year-old Connie Palmer was struggling with an alcohol and drug addiction and found herself on the streets after being kicked out of her home. In Christmas 2014 things came to a head and Connie began to get her life back on track with the help of Shekinah, a charity supporting homeless people and those with alcohol, drug, offending and mental health issues. "I was drinking and doing drugs and was homeless; my life was a mess," said Connie, who lives in Lipson. "Shekinah took me in and helped me to get clean, stop binge drinking and find a path into an amazing new career." She spent three months at a rehabilitation centre and completed a four-week work experience placement with APEC, a subcontractor of construction firm Mispace. After impressing the company during her work experience, Connie was offered the chance to stay on after her placement. She said: "My first week of work experience was a bit nerve-wracking but I fitted in well. "Everyone was so supportive and it really boosted my confidence. "Before I took on the work experience, I had major anxiety issues and wasn't very sociable at all.

"Because of everything that had happened to me I had retreated into my shell but thanks to this opportunity I am a completely different person." Connie now works as a self-employed labourer helping to refit kitchens and bathrooms at affordable housing sites across Plymouth. She is now living in shared accommodation and was praised as one of Plymouth's top learners at a special awards ceremony with On Course South West recently. "I can't believe how much my life has changed in one year," said Connie. "Thanks to Shekinah, Mi-space and APEC I have been able to make plans for the future, gain new qualifications and learn a trade. "I love where my life is now but you never know, maybe at some point I could go it alone with my own business." Soo Brizell-Hogg, head of employability at Shekinah, said: "Connie is absolutely amazing. "Here we have a woman who went on a traditionally male-dominated construction skills course and showed such promise that she was taken on by Mi-space. "She has taken every opportunity and run with it and it is fantastic to see how well she is doing." Shane Jones, Mi-space senior project manager, said: "During her work experience placement, Connie showed a willingness to learn, initiative and a fantastic level of commitment, even when her personal circumstances were difficult. "She really proved herself during the placement."

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Employability The employability team is nearing the end of a very busy, successful year, an exceptional 75% clients have gone into employment through Shekinah’s employability programmes. Additionally, Re:work has supported its 100th

candidate into employment in Torbay. The candidate had previously experienced rough sleeping and long term unemployment and found sustainable employment through our partnership with Torbay NHS.

What have we achieved in the last 6 months? •

We have welcomed 6 organisations from across the UK to share best practice and helping the most vulnerable members of our community move towards sustainable lifestyles.

•

Consistently delivered a quality employability service to people who have experienced homelessness

•

Delivered a successful Responsible Business event in Plymouth

•

Used Shekinah’s Painting & Decorating Enterprise to engage with 20 clients to help develop practical maintenance skills as well as team building and personal development skills

•

Engaged with 8 new business supporters

•

Launched a partnership with Crisis, national homeless charity.

Following 8 years of delivering work placement and employment opportunities, Shekinah is proud to announce an important new partnership: ‘Shekinah and Crisis join forces to enhance local employment services for homeless people’. The new Shekinah and Crisis partnership will support a Work & Learning Coach to support the employability team across the Plymouth and Torbay area helping homeless people gain the skills and confidence they need to secure employment.

I first became aware of Shekinah when as a university Careers Advisor I volunteered to take part in mock interviews at 24 Stonehouse Street.  The experience was not only eye-opening (pretty much all my preconceptions about homelessness were shattered), but also very rewarding.  I’m in my third week at Shekinah and the experience has been thrilling, sometimes nerve wracking, ever changing and wonderful (often all at once!). I’m delighted to be a part of such a fantastic and supportive team and really hope to be able to contribute to the wonderful work of Shekinah. (Louise Sharland, Work & Learning Coach) 4

Places of Change It has been an exciting time over the last few months in Plymouth, with changes within the staff team as well as changes within the services we provide. Shekinah has always prided itself in offering an amazing innovative service to those who are most vulnerable in society but it is always good to take a step back and revaluate where we are and where we need to be. Over the last few years, in order to offer the best wraparound support to our clients, we have increasingly worked in partnership with other local agencies. The Drop-in Centre has developed its alliances with Plymouth Access to Housing (PATH) who are experts in supporting people into accommodation, as well as medical services via a GP and nurse and Harbour Drug & Alcohol services. Enhancing this offer Shekinah now work more closely with The Eddystone Trust who run drop-ins for sex workers and they have arranged a monthly GUM clinic. Plymouth Age Concern who have also offered a member of staff on a weekly basis who will work alongside those who are over 50. In order for the staff team to work most effectively, the Drop-in is now open from 7.15am for those who are homeless and rough sleeping or in desperate need. Lunch now runs from midday until 2pm and is now a simpler meal and the longer times encourage an atmosphere of ‘food and fellowship’.

Woman’s Space

Please contact Teresa at Shekinah, Bath Street 01752 203480 for more information.

Laura Fraser-Crewes Head of Operations and Client Support Services

Most afternoons are taken up with a variety of activities including craft sessions, cooking, women’s and men’s activities as well as fitness classes, and an opportunity for staff to offer individual therapeutic support to those who require it. Shekinah’s 4 counsellors are now offering support across both the training site at 24 Stonehouse Street and the Drop-in Centre in Bath Street. We have also recruited some fabulous new volunteers who are offering their skills to support our clients in a variety of ways. The training still continues at Stonehouse Street with a few changes to the tutor team. The Re:construct programme has been enhanced by the introduction of the CSCS Health & Safety module which improves the learners’ employment outcomes. The New Year will see additional activities including a weekly Mindfulness group. This Christmas the Drop-in are running 12 days of festive activities to ensure that everyone is supported and cared for during what can be a difficult time for many. The restructure is a fluid process and the changes will continue over the next few months with many more exciting opportunities offered to support people into moving positively forward in their lives.

Staff from Shekinah, The Eddystone Trust and Trevi House identified that, due to funding cuts within the City, there is a deficit of services specifically for women in Plymouth. So with this in mind the 3 organisations have come together to form Women’s Space; Re:covery and Beyond which is a safe womenonly space open every Tuesday from 2.30pm at Shekinah, Bath Street, Plymouth. There is something lovely about hanging out with women, particularly when everyone is engaged in a creative activity. The idea is that all women, whether they are service users, workers or business leaders can come together and support each other wherever they are in life; ‘Big Sister; Little Sister’ concept. The long-term plan is to move towards opening a Women’s Centre in Plymouth with co-located services as well as childcare, and hopefully from small acorns great oak trees will grow! Although Women’s Space is held at Shekinah, this is not a Shekinah-specific initiative; the plan is that other agencies come along to offer support and progression for anyone who wants it. The important thing is that women feel safe, supported and are given opportunities to move forward in whatever way is right for them. All women are welcome; also, anyone who has a talent, skill or service that they would like to share with the group are very welcome – music, crafts, pampering, DIY skills.. please let us know. Equally if anyone has any craft items they would like to donate, please give us a call.

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An update from Torbay Sarah Pengelly - Torbay Service Manager Leonard Stocks Centre

- We have been very busy recently. We have a new Manager called Danny who has previously worked for Shekinah and has since run support services in two hostels so is very well prepared and qualified for our service. The hostel staff are now preparing for our Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) which will see up to 10 additional rough sleepers staying at the hostel when the weather is really bad. We are working closely with the Local Authority to ensure that as many rough sleepers as possible have a roof over their heads at this time of the year. We are also gearing up for Christmas which can often be a difficult time

Endeavour House

- We are going from strength to strength and have recently secured Big Lottery funding which has allowed us to employ a Coach/Trainer role who will run personal development sessions much like we run in Plymouth and also support customers accessing other services already running in the building. We also have an Administrator starting soon who will be responsible for keeping data on our services and helping to coordinate our service in Torbay. Some of the activities at Endeavour House now are; Jatis who run a substance misuse community rehabilitation programme, Unleashed Theatre Company who are currently putting together a play about

for many of our residents but we always have a brilliant Christmas day and get the residents involved with the preparing and cooking of the Christmas dinner - We have already received a kind donation of Beef and have been approached by a chef who has volunteered to help cook on the day which is amazing! The residents have been busy with lots of activities recently and are all loving the new craze....Adult Colouring....

homelessness which will be at The Princess Theatre in Torquay in February, Jamtastic which is a musicians jam session, SMART Recovery which are a peer support group for people in recovery of substance misuse and Probation who run a Hub twice a week. Again, we are preparing for Christmas also Torre which is the area we are in Torquay had its Christmas Light Switch on recently and it was a brilliant community event and we were very proud to have been a part of it. There was some great entertainment for the local families and plenty of food prepared by local residents and businesses - We look forward to being part of a bigger and better event next year!

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year from all of us in Torbay. Thank you for all of your support over the past year - We really couldn't do what we do without the support and donations from our supporters so Thank you

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‘From Homelessness to the House of Commons’ Interview with Tony Hanning – Pathways Project

(A Devon & Cornwall Probation Trust and Shekinah Partnership)

From an early age, all Tony wanted to do when he grew up was follow in his parents’ footsteps and join the Army. As a young Cadet, his future was assured as far as he was concerned and at the age of 15 years and 9 months, he completed the application procedure and signed up. “Back then, it was 52 weeks basic training and I couldn’t wait to get started,” Tony reminisced . “Everything was going well, when after a few months I began to feel pretty ill. I saw the army doctor 9 times over a period of weeks but they couldn’t find anything wrong with me and thought I just wanted to get out of training. Then they sent me on a 9 mile cross country run and I honestly thought I was going to die. I returned to barracks and was unable to take my kit off or do anything. I knew something was very wrong and it seemed by this point, they did too, as my Sergeant and another lad literally carried me to hospital where I was diagnosed with a serious case of pneumonia.” Having been undetected for so long, the illness had led to other health issues which rendered it impossible for Tony to continue with his dream of an Army career. Still only 16 years old, he was discharged on the grounds of ill-health. Tony had no ‘plan B’, the Army being all he had dreamed about, he felt his life had fallen apart. “From that point I went on a self-destruct, honestly not caring about my life anymore or the consequences of anything I did. I hung around with the wrong people, got into all kinds of trouble and was still dealing with the after-effects of my illness, which by that time had affected my thyroid. My behaviour was all over the place caused by my illness; my mum thought I was on drugs which I wasn’t

but I was out of control and heading for rock bottom. My mum had raised me and my brother on her own since I was 5 years old and I put her through a lot of stuff during the following 6 years after leaving the Army. Eventually, she could take no more and asked me to leave. It sounds harsh and I was really angry with her at the time, blaming her for everything wrong in my life. But honestly, it was a case of ‘tough love’ and I needed it. It was something of a wake-up call for me to suddenly find myself homeless. Today I enjoy a great relationship with my mum, things are better than ever between us. I sofa-surfed for quite a while and then got a place at Plymouth House where my keyworker there practically dragged me to Shekinah to sign up for a bricklaying course. That was in January 2007. I went along on my first day ready to give it a go and was told, “No bricklaying . . . plastering today mate!” I was pretty fed up and was tempted to tell them where to shove it, but instead went back the next day. The Re:construct building programme was running from the other side of Stonehouse Street then, number ‘25’ and for the first time since the Army I didn’t mind the guys there telling me what to do. I had an awful temper, a lousy attitude and was often frustrated but Ray Collom, Paul and Mike challenged me virtually every day and I began to change. 7

I achieved an Awards Certificate & Diploma in Bricklaying & Plastering and had the opportunity to work outside of Shekinah under Ray’s supervision on some projects in the City, including our old Hostel at The Gates. I learnt a great deal during this time and felt part of a team and very soon began supporting the tutors as a Volunteer Trainee Trainer. All this happened within a year and then a job became available as a Trainer with Shekinah which I applied for and got. I was at last able to afford my own place which John Hamblin helped me to get and suddenly I realised my life had turned around. It’s a hard thing maybe for people to understand but I found all this good fortune and change of events hard to accept. I’d been on self-destruct for so long that I kept asking myself, ‘Why me? Why do I get a second chance?’ Why do I deserve this opportunity? Maybe I thought all this good stuff couldn’t last. All I know is that I was strongly tempted to hit the self-destruct button again. Fortunately, I was being mentored by Phillippa at British Telecom and at least had the good sense to go and talk to her before walking away. She was brilliant. It would have ended there if not for her and I dread to think where I might have ended up. Being outside of Shekinah and the rest of what was going on in my life, she was able to give me a different perspective. She was professional, balanced and helped me believe that I could do this. In March of 2008, I was invited to The House of Commons having been nominated for the Young Builder of the Year Award. I reached the final 3 with a ‘Highly Commended’. I found myself sitting, having posh little fish and chips served in cones with other little dainties, surrounded by politicians and wondering how on earth I’d landed up there. It was a very proud day. I worked as a Trainer for 5 years obtaining my PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Life-Long Sector) and worked both here in Plymouth and did a stint at Shekinah’s Torbay Construction. An Intervention Mentor’s

position then came up within the Pathways Project, a Devon & Cornwall Probation Trust and Shekinah Partnership, and much to my surprise, many of my colleagues thought I should apply. I was both delighted and bewildered to be appointed in 2012 and have worked directly with ex-offenders reporting to Probation for the last three years. This has been a fantastic time of my life, maximising my skills and enabling me to work on a one-to-one basis with hundreds of individuals, helping them whenever possible to break cycles of re-offending. At its peak, we have had 150 people reporting to the centre, all of which I have worked with and I can tell many stories of those who I’ve seen turn their lives around. I’m thinking at the moment of a 50 year old man with a long history of offending who had never in his life worked. I bumped into him in town the other day and he is still working, is now married and enjoying life. That’s a priceless feeling to be a part of. The Pathways Project has won national awards receiving a ‘Highly Commended’ winning the Community Partnership of the Year with the National Probation Service and becoming a finalist at the Redemption & Justice Awards. All this is a long way from the homeless man I once was – angry, destructive and without hope. At the end of this week I shall be leaving Shekinah and moving on to new challenges. The fact that I can move on without Shekinah is a testimony to all that I’ve received here. Shekinah has challenged me, supported and trained me and given me the confidence and self-belief to reach my potential. Now it’s time for me to look outside of Shekinah and spread my wings but I’ve grown up here, learnt how to be professional and deal with issues in a positive way and I hope now to grow some more, face new challenges and continue to help other guys in the same position as I once was, to move on.” As told to Helen Pearce 8

The Plymouth Clarion Male Voice Choir Andy Lang - Drop-in Centre and Rev David Young giving the benediction. The evening was rounded off with refreshments served by volunteers. The Plymouth Clarion Choir was formed in 1915 based in H.M. Dockyard. They borrowed the name from a north country news paper. They have performed in many places throughout England and Wales and their activities include some 50 broadcasts for the BBC. Members of the Choir have voiced an interest in performing in support of Shekinah Drop-in Centre and if this gains the acceptance of everyone, we should be delighted.

Friday 18th March @ 7:30pm Congress Hall, Salvation Army Armada Way, Plymouth, Devon PL1 1LD

Tickets available from Shekinah, Bath Street, Plymouth, Tel: Pat Andrews on 01752-203480, or Stonehouse Music School, Brunel House, 16-18 Stonehouse Street, Plymouth, PL1 3PE Tel: Sian Jamison on 01752- 262663

Plymouth Area Police Choir with the Stonehouse Music School

Concessions £5

As this is the Centenary Year for the Plymouth Clarion Choir, we congratulate them on this amazing achievement and pray God will continue to bless them and consequently those who hear them over the next 100 years.

Tickets £6

It was with great pleasure that we hosted The Plymouth Clarion Male Voice Choir at the Drop-in Centre on the evening of Thursday 26th March. What a wonderful evening we all had, with renditions of ‘How Can I Keep from Singing’, ‘You Raise Me Up’ and ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’. We were then treated to an inspiring testimony from Rev David Young, a retired Minister, illuminating an impressive and busy life with humour and great interest. Despite retirement, it doesn’t sound as though life is any less busy. After David concluded, Mark Roberts stepped up to support the evening with three well chosen songs which we all joined in with in real worship and fellowship. The evening continued with the Choir performing another three songs, ‘Eternal God’, ‘The Heavenly Aeroplane’ (this was a song which most of those present didn’t know but thought was brilliant)! The last song was ‘A Gaelic Blessing’ which was followed with closing prayers by Andy Lang

Shekinah Charity Shop - Mutley Plain Wendy Smith - Manager The Mutley Plain shop in Hyde Park House has continued to grow stronger thanks to the loyalty of the volunteers and the continued donations from the community.  Our donated stock level is at the highest it has ever been and I really hope this is how it will always be.  The occasion wear 50/50 system has grown with regular sales on a weekly basis so new stock is always required.   We have had some donation highlights over the past few months including an 1850’s French brass casket that was sent to Bonham’s in Edinburgh for auction, the hammer went down at a fantastic £300. After attempting to collect one piano from a first floor flat (it was as though the flat had been built up around the piano and it simply would not make it’s way out in one piece), we were offered a second piano which now sits proudly waiting for a pianist in the shop, to then be offered a third piano!  We now have a piano buyers waiting list for any future donations.  We have some early 1900’s sheet music books that lend the imagination to wonder at the type of venues they have been played in.  There is so much history and sentiment attached to some items we receive, if only they could talk.  

Shekinah and the shop have gone International thanks to Mariana and her Ocean Corner project; she continues to network our re-use recycle ethos alongside her art to help raise awareness of Shekinah.  She has used the shop location as a venue for Spanish TV and local media.  The shop is a great platform to introduce Shekinah’s work to customers, many of whom have misconceptions about what we do.  It is always a delight when a customer leaves with a fire in their belly about helping us, it isn’t usually long before they come back with boxes of donations to help us fundraise.  I have certainly noticed a positive difference in people’s attitude toward our clients and at this time of the year, many people are thinking of those less fortunate.  As many charities struggle to gain support, our strength is that we are local and people can see where their money goes.   On a daily basis we are fortunate enough to hear positive feedback about the stock, the prices, the atmosphere and the staff.  We are only as good as the donations we receive, so I would like to say thank you and please carry on.  

Merry Christmas from all of us in the shops.  

Wendy and her team

Shekinah Charity Shop - Union Street Linda Williams - Manager

Things are going from strength to strength in the Union Street store with some talented new volunteers as you will see from our wonderful Christmas window display – special thanks to Suzanne and Calvin. The shop is bursting with bargains to suit every pocket and we now stock both

summer and winter wear all year round. Keep a look out in the spring for our garden, currently under construction, which will be a gem when completed and where we will hold events in the summer. 10

Plymouth University/Peninsula School of Medicine & Dentistry For some years now, Shekinah has been a sought after placement centre for students studying Medicine, Psychiatry, Health & Social Care, Criminology, Nursing and Police in training. Frequently, students report that time spent at Shekinah has been the most rewarding of their placements and has significantly changed their view and attitudes towards the marginalised sector. Many have returned after their placement as volunteers and have gone on to arrange fundraising and promotional events to support the work. Here is a selection of their comments: “Shekinah are doing brilliantly well at getting people back into work.” “I found it very interesting talking with people who Shekinah help and hearing their stories. The time I’ve spent here will help me a lot in the future when I am a doctor.”

“It really surprised me how Shekinah started off with only a £50 donation over 20yrs ago, and since has been able to help countless people get back on their feet. I think it’s a brilliant idea for medical students to interact and visit places like Shekinah because in the future, as a doctor, I will be able to empathise a lot more with patients who suffer with homelessness and the underlying issues.”

“I think Shekinah is an absolutely great and vital facility in this community. It definitely deserves a lot more support and the staff here have been absolutely brilliant. I hope Shekinah continues to grow. Thank you so much for the experience.”

“I really enjoyed interacting with the service users and serving the food at lunch time. I felt like we were doing ‘real work’ for ‘real people’ in difficult situations.” “Wow! How involved you are with housing, education, training and health. I thought you were just a soup kitchen! I now have far more understanding of how people become homeless – I thought it was only ever through drink and drugs – I now know better.”

“I didn’t realise Shekinah did so much! There’s such a broad cover of help available – housing, training, employment etc. Such a lovely bunch of people!”

“I had no idea that Shekinah had services like the doctor, chiropodist and so many other services. Even more, I really want to get to know people and how best to help them.”

“Really lovely placement – great to get stuck in and feel we’re helping. Very friendly and welcoming place – would love to come back.”

“I am now fully aware of the homeless and their needs have to be met just as much as anyone else. I was thrilled to be able to help today and loved getting involved.”

“I was surprised at the level of support provided at Shekinah. I feel I have a far better insight into the work the Mission does and how they help people.”

“I didn’t realise how much Shekinah did and how much they help out in the community.”

“I was surprised by how much personal care you give to each person at Shekinah. I have never experienced such a great relationship between workers and their clients. Coming here has given me insight into how to develop relationships to help people in difficult situations. Every time I come, I have more sympathy for the clients. It’s been great to talk with them, get their views on the things we are taught as medical students. This teaches us how to treat people and I would want to encourage this as much as possible. Thanks.”

“Very interesting placement. Nice to see this particular population from a different perspective than GP/Hospital. Dedicated and enthusiastic staff doing a good job.”

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Gifting to a Charity Wolferstans Many people throughout their lifetime benefit from the very valuable work carried out by Charities or, at the very least, knows someone who has benefited in such a way. Very often people wish to benefit those Charities when they die, by leaving them a legacy or similar but, with demand on everyone’s time becoming more and more on a daily basis, making a Will is always the item that remains at the bottom of the “to do” list. Charities cannot benefit in any way if you die without leaving a Will. The intestacy rules that govern such situations are archaic. They provide for a very strict order of people who have to benefit under the estate, and in many cases this can mean that very remote family members inherit from you, even if you have not seen them for some time or have no relationship with them. In extreme cases, even the Crown can inherit ! Many people would not want that to occur and instead would want friends or, indeed, Charities to benefit, so making a Will is a valuable, simple, and cost effective way of ensuring that those wishes are carried out.

during your lifetime are also tax free, so it can be a useful Inheritance Tax tool to make a gift to Charity. Recent changes in tax legislation also meant that in certain cases that attract Inheritance Tax, it can be beneficial for 10% or more of the estate to be paid to a registered Charity, as it means that a lower rate of tax is then paid by the remaining beneficiaries of the estate. This can be done not only in a Will, but also if the person has already died, by way of Deed of Variation within two years of the person’s death, to maximise such tax advantages. This can mean that both the beneficiaries and a Charity benefit from such a change. Samantha Buckthought, Head of the Wills and Trust Department at Wolferstans, Solicitors, Plymouth, states “There really is no substitute for making a Will and ensuring that your Will is valid and up-to-date. Many people do not realise the valuable tax savings and other protection that having a Will can bring”. Wolferstans have prepared a Gifting to Charity free guide that is available from themselves and from Shekinah.

Gifts to Charities are extremely important for the ongoing work that they do. Gifts within a Will and

Richard Morgan

Chairman

All of us at Shekinah want to offer our thanks for the many, many people who support us and help care for the disadvantaged – particularly now at Christmas. This wonderful time of year is a time of great joy for many, but it can so easily become exactly the opposite. There can be few of us who do not cringe at some of the more grotesque commercial excesses, seeming to miss the whole point of Christmas. Similarly this time of year which can be unsurpassed for goodwill, family closeness and generous giving can also become a time of maximum depression for the vulnerable. The Christmas story has a very clear focus on simplicity with not a hint of luxury or Christmas excesses. In the gift of the long-awaited Messiah, God chose the extraordinary revelation of a helpless infant – his own Son Jesus. During his life he knew all about homelessness and was often rejected by the society of his day, who eventually arranged to kill him. Yet here we are 2000 years on with a huge proportion of the world’s population still celebrating his birth with unashamed thanksgiving. Jesus clearly had a special affection for the poor, the disadvantaged and the homeless, and it is in that same spirit that Shekinah carries on today. It’s just great if someone comes through our door with some needs that we may be able to help with. What better time than at Christmas to be doing just that and so our thanks to everyone involved in Shekinah, helping with this fantastic work. With best wishes for a joyful and peaceful Christmas.

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Another Successful Helping Hands Day Dorothy Martin - Assistant Director of Public Affairs

On Saturday 20th June, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints arrived at Grow For Life – Shekinah in Paignton to help with two projects as part of their Helping Hands day.

Although The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints raised over £800 for Shekinah this year we were unaware that help was needed on the Grow for Life project. We always contact Teignbridge CVS Volunteer Centre, Newton Abbot who put us in touch with people to enable us to do our Helping Hands projects, so it was quite amazing when we were told by the Volunteering Services that Shekinah Paignton was in need of help. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Anja Kroening-Maynard and her team for always helping us with our Helping Hands projects.

Terry Ingham, the assistant manager of Shekinah met us and gave us a tour of this wonderful project and instructed us on the work at hand, which consisted of two different pieces of work, one doing some timber work and the other weeding a large area in order for crop growing. Grow for Life – Shekinah helps people who are homeless or have become unemployed, people with drug, alcohol or mental health difficulties. Through the Grow for Life project volunteers are taught skills and gain confidence in themselves and without pressure they are then enabled to embrace future employment.

The Church of Latter-Day Saints (01626) 774572 or e-mail [email protected]

‘The Big Swim’ New Yea r’s Day 2016

2pm at Wembu ry Beach Have fun and support the work of Shekinah.

Sponsorship forms available – 01752-203480

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This year, Christmas at Shekinah begins on Monday 21st December 2015 until Saturday 2nd January 2016

Twelve Days of Christmas Schedule: (For our clients) Mon 21st Tues 22nd Wed 23rd Thurs 24th Fri 25th Sat 26th Mon 28th Tues 29th Wed 30th Thurs 31st Fri 1st Jan Sat 2nd

Cake & Crafts Festive Lunch (sponsored by business partners) Seniors Sing-a-Long Party Carol Service CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH BOXING DAY BRUNCH Gift Swap & Open Day Volunteer Christmas Lunch (prepared and served by clients) Treasure Hunt New Year’s Eve Hootenanny (Music Afternoon) ‘The Big Swim’, Wembury Beach or Brunch at Shekinah Brunch with Bingo & Quiz

Sponsor an event or volunteer to help. For more information please ring 01752- 203480 or donate on the website at www.shekinahmission.co.uk

A person’s past, need not dictate their future . . . please, help us to make a difference and bring about lasting change.

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SHEKINAH Charity Number 1097409 Company Registered in England: 4687832

Contacts Drop-in Centre Bath Street Plymouth PL1 3LT 01752 203480

Fundraising & Volunteering Helen Pearce Bath Street PL1 3LT 01752 203 480

Growing for Life Preston Down Road Paignton TQ3 1RN 07833 051819 07702 388915

Leonard Stocks Centre Factory Row Torquay TQ2 5QQ 01803 217890 Employability Team

Re-Store Charity Shop 142 Union Street Plymouth PL1 3HL 01752 203486

Re-Store Charity Shop Hyde Park House Mutley Plain Plymouth PL4 6LF

(Torbay & Plymouth) 24 Stonehouse Street Plymouth PL1 3PE 01752 223185

Re-solve Training (Torbay & Plymouth) 24 Stonehouse Street Plymouth PL1 3PE 01752 220330

Endeavour House 2-8 Union Street Torquay TQ2 5QS 01803 203895

Would you like a guest speaker? We are very keen to promote the work of Shekinah and inform our many supporters of the on-going development of our projects. Whether it is the Drop-in Centre, the Training and Employability Academy, Shekinah Pathways - (Probation/Shekinah Teams),Growing for Life Horticulture Project, Social Enterprise Scheme, Charity Shops, or any other aspect of our work – find out more! Ring: Helen Pearce on 01752-223185 and book a speaker now!