The new High Sheriff of Rutland, Geraldine Feehally has spoken to Oakham Nub News about the successful work of local volunteers in supporting some of the homeless in Rutland.

The project, a branch of the national charity, Hope into Action, has been running for 3 years and is always interested in any committed individuals who might want to join in.   

It creates links with local church groups and supports them to meet the tragedy of homelessness in the community, by housing and helping them. Hope into Action was first set up by a Peterborough resident who got chatting to a man in a local park one day and, upon finding out that he was homeless, vowed to help.   

The Oakham project accepts homeless men because these are the least likely to be housed due to a shortage of the right accommodation and the national priority to give suitable homes to women and children. 

Rutland County Council Housing Department partner with the local team to identify possible tenants, support their Housing Benefit claims while they are unemployed, and work with the tenants to find suitable independent accommodation at the end of their stay. Members of Rutland County Council are directly involved.

Geraldine explained: "The Hope into Action project run by Churches Together in Oakham was already established when I heard about it. It had one house and a volunteer team working alongside the two tenants to help them move up from marginalisation, to feeling secure and able to live a full life. The reason the project is so positive is that the tenants have not just a home, but also help to turn their lives around. 

"A decision was made to open a second house because of the need and the success of the first, and they were looking for another team, which is when I put my hand up to join." 

She is a passionate volunteer, having been involved with a range of causes, alongside her local church, since retiring from her role as a teacher in 2015. 

She said: "I see the benefit to my community and to myself when I am volunteering, and I'm very interested to learn what makes other people want to volunteer. It is what keeps our communities going."  

The locations of the houses are undosclosed. Image credit: Nub News.

Because the tenants stay in the house for up to 2 years, volunteers often work on the same 2 year cycle, making way for others when a new tenant moves in. So, the project is always looking for volunteers to join the team as Befrienders and Supporters who, patiently and without judgement, are willing support a previously homeless tenant.  

Volunteer Supporters and Befrienders are just that. As supporters they help tenants with a range of developmental activities; managing finances and use of time, making positive relationships, coping with housework and cooking, writing a cv, finding employment and eventually obtaining their own rental accommodation when they are ready to leave. 

As befrienders the volunteer team spends time with their tenant encouraging positive actions, relationships and choices, finding resources – steel capped work boots, a bike or warm jacket - and promoting each tenants' wellbeing, independence, resourcefulness and resilience.  

Practically the volunteers may take them out for a coffee or lunch, accompany them to appointments if requested, find access to suitable adult literacy and numeracy courses, help them complete financial, work or health documents and simply spend time chatting about their interests and aspirations, sharing time with them as a friend. 

Tenants are encouraged to join in with the local community. Image credit: Nub News.

Geraldine explained: "The qualities of the people that want to become Befrienders and Supporters are massively important; patience, care and good listening are essential but so too are the elements of the training opportunities available from Hope into Action, some of which deals with safeguarding, boundaries and risk assessment. 

"Confidentiality and discretion are central in supporting the tenants, as is respecting them and being them a positive influence and friend, while maintaining a professional distance emotionally." 

"The work and the organisation is run entirely by volunteers, and the success factor comes because they value the tenants and accept their past mistakes without judgement. Our volunteers have wide ranging ages, skills and experiences to share, but the common denominator is that they each want to make a difference. 

She added: "My role as an empowerment officer is to encourage the tenant and his Befrienders and Supporters team, maintain good communications, manage challenges, share successes and inevitably keep the documentation up to date. We meet regularly to discuss and plan together in the best interests of the tenant, but always with coffee or tea because we too have become friends. 

"We recently had two tenants leave one house, one almost directly after the other, and move to independent rental accommodation. They have returned to the mainstream, living and working Oakham thanks to their own hard work and that of our volunteers." 

The volunteer team are involved for the duration of their tenants' residencies, assisting with the multiple steps of the programme.   

Step 1, Rutland County Council, Housing Options identifies a potential male tenant who is homeless and might be helped by a supported placement in one of our houses,  

Step 2, The empowerment worker and the potential tenant meet and together complete a Strength and Needs Assessment, and a Risk Assessment (documents developed by Hope into Action). Here is where Geraldine and the team find out if their potential tenant wants to change and is willing to work with them for a better future.  

Step 3 is to offer them a place promising security and support 

Step 4 is for the tenant to move in and to have a month getting settled. 

Step 5 allows the team, alongside the tenant, to develop a personal plan which considers how the tenant will progress. This is revised every 6 months. 

Step 6 will see the tenant taking up hobbies and embracing local volunteering opportunities with the help of the Befrienders and Supporters. 

Step 7 is encouraging the tenant to seek full or part-time work and to get used to a return to 'normality'.  

Finally, step 8 will see the tenant move on into rented accommodation, with the option to stay in touch with their Befrienders as peers.  

Tenants can remain in touch with Befrienders once their stay comes to an end. Image credit: Nub News.

Volunteers have support and ongoing training to allow them to provide the best for the tenants, as there must be a rigorous understanding of the essentials, such as safeguarding, confidentiality and discretion.  

The Rutland-based cohort at Hope into Action are keen to welcome more volunteers to the team, young and old, who can give time and interest and offer a positive attitude.

Geraldine added: "It is wonderful to see people connect. It's incredible how well older people can get on with our younger male tenants, but they can and they do, and both parties flourish." 

Very little fundraising is undertaking by the group, as the community often assists with the needs of the tenants, providing used furniture and goods to help meet the requirements of each individual tenant.  

Geraldine said: "We reach out to members of the church and the wider community for goods we need. We recently gathered gardening tools for a tenant keen to grow vegetables for the first time and we are currently looking for a pair of size 8 rugby boots. We also buy items such crockery and cutlery through charity shops to keep the cycle of giving going." 

The volunteer team also foster connections with several Rutland-based charities, including Rutland Foodbank and Rutland Community Fridge.  

Earlier this month, Geraldine hosted a reception for volunteers and fundraising concert at Uppingham Town Hall to raise much-needed funds for those who gather and give foods and refreshments at no cost or low cost to people that need it throughout the county.  

Geraldine said: "We raised money to support local voluntary organisations and charities with a food focus. It gave us all a chance to celebrate the volunteers who are on the periphery or in the back room getting the hard slog done, who may never get noticed."  

It was announced on Wednesday 26 April, that Rutland Foodbank fed more people than ever over the last year, making this fundraising even more important. 

Read more here.

This was the High Sheriff's first major fundraiser of the year, but she has hinted that more are on the horizon, so watch this space…   

In the meantime, find out more about Hope into Action on their website. 

Geraldine concluded: "I would encourage people to come forward if they think that they can help. Schemes like this have such power, and people are offered a chance to change that they don't get on the streets or sofa surfing. The look on their faces when they can sit on a comfy chair in the safety of their own home is just wonderful." 

Get in touch via the Hope into Action Contact form.

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