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Homelessness Sunday 2004

Homelessness Sunday - Building Justice - Yes we can! was based on Jesus' dramatic announcement at the start of his ministry that he came to restore society, as well as save individuals. Over 2,000 churches and groups took part in the 11th annual Homelessness Sunday, holding special services, raising money for local projects and holding awareness-raising events.

Press
We had successful press coverage in the Guardian Online, The Universe, Reform, Christian Herald, Baptist Times, Methodist Recorder, Church of England Newspaper, Property People, Inside Housing and a host of local papers nationwide.

Struggling to eat well - Homelessness and healthy eating survey
Linked with Homelessness Sunday (25th January 2004) Housing Justice carried out a small research project to explore healthy eating and homelessness. Our MegaBite projects, which offer a cashless form of giving to homeless people, bring us into regular contact with day centres run for homeless people, and with their clients. So we carried out a short survey amongst day centre users in Exeter, Exmouth, Southampton, Brighton, London and Leeds. During the week 10th – 16th January 2004 seven day centres distributed forms to their clients. To encourage participation the number of questions was kept low (eight in all) and no demographic information was collected. However, we do know that both men and women completed forms and that a wide range of ages was represented. We believe that this was the first all age survey into the quality of homeless people's eating habits in England for more than five years. Full details of the findings Housing Justice - Struggling to eat well. Homelessness and healthy eating research results

Around the UK
Aberdeen - The Cyrenians' sleepout was a fantastic success. Over 450 gave up the comfort of their beds and joined the Press & Journal Arena in Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. Surrounded by masses of white snow, many snuggled down into their sleeping bags and cardboard cities to brave the elements.

Cheshire - St Chad's RC Secondary School in Runcorn, Cheshire invited people to give up their Sunday Roast and donate the money to charity. Coming to the school they were then given a soup kitchen lunch, organised by the staff, 6th form, local Justice and Peace groups and the local Churches. Year 10 St Vincent de Paul group worked very hard on the day, selling soup serving drinks, washing and cleaning up. Over £300 was rasied which will go to local homeless charities including the YMCA...St Chad's RC School, Runcorn

Llantwit Major Homelessness Sunday was used as a springboard to introduce to the congregation the topic for the year, Homelessness. Over the year Llantwit Major plans to focus on homelessness and incorporate drama, prayers and fund-raising events into their normal worship pattern, finishing with a youth praise service at Advent using Homelessness and its relationship with Advent as its focus. 

Worthing Churches Homeless Projects On the Saturday, in freezing conditions, 16 staff, volunteers and supporters of local charity, Worthing Churches Homeless Projects, spent the night sleeping rough. Sleepers, including the Mayor, James Doyle, Tony Chasteauneuf, the General Manager of WCHP, and Sally Roff, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the charity, spent the night sleeping in the playground of Broadwater C of E School with only cardboard boxes and sleeping bags for warmth. The event, to raise much needed funds for the work of WCHP, was also to raise the profile of the plight of those who have to live like this every day and night...

Paisley Action of Churches Together marked Homelessness Sunday with a number of congregations arranging to hang out washing-lines, to which church members pegged socks - lots of socks! These were later distributed to the homeless through a number of outlets.

St Martin in the Fields Trafalgar Square - Robina Rafferty, the Chief Executive of Housing Justice preached a sermon on Homelessness Sunday and reminded us that “A home is far more than a roof over our head. It's certainly a place where people can meet the physical needs of life, warmth and safety, but also a place where we can grow as the whole people we are created to be”.

Telford - The launch of KIP, a homeless project for Adult Homeless, took place at the Salvation Army, Oakengates this week as part of the National Churches Homelessness awareness campaign “Building Justice –Yes we can” Alan Olver spoke to those present who represented various organisations, faiths and the regular congregation about the new project, and presented the Salvation Army a cheque for £1,000 to set the project off in its bid to raise an initial £30,000...Salvation Army, Kip Homeless Project, Telford

Other events held around the UK
Centrepoint, Boston
Forest Row Baptist Church, East Sussex
Paradise Furniture Project, Hemel Hempstead
St Joseph's Church, Portishead
St John's, North Holmwood, Dorking
St John's Waterloo, London

Feedback from participants
What did you think about the Homelessness Sunday Resource Pack?.....

"I thought the Homelessness Sunday materials were brilliant. As a journalist and writer I often despair of church publications. What a pleasure to get your stuff - excellent!!" David Rhodes.

"Just to say that the materials prepared for this year's Homelessness Sunday were very helpful. Many thanks". Laurence Waring, Penicuik.

"Many thanks for the fantastic information pack that we received to help us plan our Homelessness Sunday service this year." St Michael's, Camden Town.

"Fr Christ Boles, Archdiocesan Vicar for Justice & Peace, organised this day to give us plenty to think about on Homelessness Sunday. It certanly did that." Tony Hughes, Edinburgh

Keyspace

Unveiled in October 2002 by HRH Prince of Wales, the sculpture was commissioned by the Homelessness Sunday Partnership to highlight the needs of those who are homeless. The piece incorporates keys symbolically provided by churches taking part in Homeless Sunday 2001, and was generously supported by the Key Housing Trust. Installed in a quadrangle as part of a new sheltered housing development behind Mile End tube station in East London. The construction is from polished stainless steel, the base holding 144 vertical bars which mount a silouette of a giant key, the outline of which is formed from bunches of over 500 brass car & door keys. The sculpture comes alive with the slightest breeze, giving ever-changing patterns of sound & light in a forest of steel. More pictures and info ... Keyspace