Latest News & Events
Rochdale tenant all set to start a new venture with the help of St Vincents Positive Futures.
Rochdale tenant, Peter Bollington, has always wanted to set up his own business making garden ornaments. Peter has been receiving advice and support from St Vincent's Positive Futures, including a five day motivational training course which helped him to focus on achieving his goal.
Further support came in the shape of helping him to produce a business plan and an application to Job Centre Plus to purchase equipment to get him started through the JCP Flexible Support fund (a discretionary fund which Job centre advisers can award to job seekers who have secured a job) and he’s on his way to a new life and a flourishing business.
Author - Sarah Hodgkinson | Added on 26/01/2012
Happy Chinese New Year!
The young people at the SVHA Blackburn with Darwen Foyer celebrated the Chinese New Year in style – creating a fantastic Chinese Dragon!
Author - Sarah Hodgkinson | Added on 24/01/2012
St Vincent's supports the NHF's campaign to fight the unfair bedroom tax
Help us fight the bedroom tax.
In February, MPs have a chance to vote to stop the Government's plans to slash the housing benefit of social tenants deemed to be 'under-occupying' their homes.
This proposal is effectively a bedroom tax and will have disastrous implications for a huge number of people already struggling to make ends meet.
Please email your MP and ask him/her to vote against the bedroom tax! http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=115&ea.campaign.id=13334
Author - Sarah Hodgkinson | Added on 24/01/2012
St Vincent's Tenant Nominated for Adult Learner Week
Judy Walker, a St Vincent's tenant from Kearsley in Bolton, has been nominated for the prestigious Adult Learners Week Outstanding Individual Learner Award.
Judy (above centre wearing a white scarf) started her learning journey with Bolton College in early 2009. She completed the level 2 certificate in Counselling Concepts, and the Level 3 certificate in Counselling skills. St Vincent’s was able to help Judy by awarding her an educational bursary so that she could go on to do the Level 4 Diploma.
"In the space of just 2 years I have learned who I am and have gained confidence in all areas of my life. My relationship with my teenage daughter is a prime example; we now understand each other and home life is much improved. In terms of my friends and family they tell me I am a changed person. I did not realise how negative I was, I saw bad in every situation, now I get on and deal with it. I look forward and see everything as a new challenge. This new me is translating into the work I am currently doing at Farnworth urban care centre where I provide the counselling sessions. I am seeing that I am having a positive impact on my clients and helping them to change their lives around albeit a slow process is very rewarding. I look forward to seeing my clients and I am thoroughly enjoying the final year of my course. The clients I work with have multiple issues. They are referred by employment advisors who have identified barriers to work, which initially I thought would be quite straight forward. To date I have seen 6 clients with complex needs and the work is intense but very rewarding. The work I am doing is having an impact on people’s lives and this leads to positive life changes and it is my belief that I can help people to change their lives around as I have been able to do. I am now in a position where I can give back to society."
Pictured: Judy (centre front row), with a group of St Vincent’s Positive futures clients, who completed Clear Aims, a motivational training course.
Author - Sarah Hodgkinson | Added on 23/01/2012
Young People Take to the Streets to Demonstrate about Welfare Reform
Residents from St Vincent’s Manchester Foyer and Blackburn Foyer took to the streets on Monday (10 October) to make their voices heard.
Outraged by the cuts being announced, particularly in young persons services, the residents of both Foyers have come together to let other people know about the housing crisis and highlight Welfare Action Week. Change to housing benefits and room rates means that Foyer residents will only be able to afford a shared home until they are possibly middle-aged. Additionally, virtually all preventative services accessible by the residents have been cut!
The peaceful demonstration, devised by the residents, has given them an opportunity to be directly involved in democracy and freedom of speech.
Natasha Piper and Mary Haynes, both residents at St Vincent’s Blackburn Foyer said: “We’re demonstrating today because young people could lose their homes under the Universal Payment System. We won’t be in a position to pay our own rent as we are still working on budgeting skills. We feel angry and worried. ”
Charlie Norman, Operations Director at St Vincent’s said: “We are very proud of the achievements of the young people at both our Foyers over the last 13 years. The opportunities for work, study and move-on accommodation have led to some fantastic outcomes for disadvantaged young people who have lived at the foyers . Now, all we can see on the horizon is less hope and less opportunity for independence.”
Author - | Added on 12/10/2011
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