Housing Justice News Release 19 June 2007
For immediate release
Robina Rafferty to be presented with Papal Medal
The first Chief Executive of Christian homelessness charity Housing Justice, Robina Rafferty, is to be presented with the Holy Cross Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice by the Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Reverend Peter Smith, at a Mass on Thursday 21 June 2007 at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Old Marylebone Road, NW1
The award of the medal is in recognition of Robina’s 30 years of service putting Catholic social teaching into action.
Robina joined Housing Justice’s predecessor the Catholic Housing Aid Society as a housing adviser in 1976 and became first Assistant Director and then Director of CHAS. After more than a decade successfully leading CHAS she became the founding Chief Executive of Housing Justice in 2003. She retired from this role in 2006.
Robina was a member of the Archbishop’s Commission on Urban Priority Areas which produced the report, Faith in the City, in 1985, and as CHAS Director helped to found the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Homelessness and Housing Need in Parliament acting as its Clerk until her retirement in 2006. In 1998 Robina received an MBE for services to homeless people and in 2002 was awarded the Cross of St Augustine by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Dr George Carey.
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The Holy Cross medal will be presented to Robina Rafferty by the Most Reverend Peter Smith at a Mass starting at 5pm at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 211 Old Marylebone Road, London NW1 5QT (nearest tube Edgware Road). The Mass will be followed by a reception at the Housing Justice offices next to the church.
About Housing Justice
Housing Justice is the national voice of Christian action to prevent homelessness and bad housing.
Housing Justice was formed in April 2003 by the merger of two long-standing housing charities, the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS) and the Churches National Housing Coalition (CNHC). In January 2006 Housing Justice merged with UNLEASH (Church Action on Homelessness in London).
Housing Justice brings together more than 60 years experience of working for change in the field of housing.
Housing Justice provides frontline services to people in housing need and campaigns to improve housing policy.
In total Housing Justice is actively involved in more than 35 communities across England and Wales .
The Housing Justice CHAS network of 11 housing advice centres –in Bradford, Bristol, Croydon, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Kingston upon Thames, Leeds, Central London, Middlesbrough and Oswestry - provide practical support to people with housing and related problems.
Housing Justice UNLEASH works to support church-based housing and homelessness projects in London . It is responsible for coordinating the Soup Run Forum.
Housing Justice Regenerate, funded by the government's Community Empowerment Division, supports resident-led regeneration in 15 Guide Neighbourhoods across the UK . Regenerate brings together residents who have transformed their estates with those who want to embark on the regeneration process to share learning and offer support.
Housing Justice works with, and for, homeless and badly housed people of all faiths, and with those who have no religious beliefs. All our services are offered to the whole community and, wherever possible, we work in partnership with others who share our values, regardless of religious beliefs.
Further information on Housing Justice is available at www.housingjustice.org.uk
Contact
Luke Evans 020 7723 7273
Email info@housingjustice.org.uk