Background information

Hope for the Homeless came about in February 2008 after an awareness event held in Bideford St. Mary’s. This took the form of a typical “diner’s lunch” and was attended by over 60 people from all walks of life including many different organisations and agencies, and several homeless people. By the end of the event there was a groundswell of feeling that something had to be done about the problem in Bideford.

During February 2008 there were 20 people counted as homeless or without a place to stay! They came from all ages, male and female and for a huge range of different reasons. One particularly moving instance was of a young girl of about 18 or 19 who had been abused by her father and therefore couldn’t return home. Because she had no address she was unable to get a job and so the vicious cycle of poverty and homelessness continued. She told us that what she needed more than anything was a place to go during the daytime, somewhere she could wash, change clothes, have a meal, talk to people and generally find help.
“Hope for the Homeless” was subsequently set up and after a number of meetings, visits to the “Freedom Centre” in Barnstaple, “St Petrock’s” in Exeter and the “Shekinah Mission” in Plymouth and contact with a range of interested organisations it was decided that the core need in Bideford was for a Day Centre, offering food, shelter, support and access to information and other relevant agencies.