Working within a small team of staff and volunteers you will help address the immediate needs of homeless individuals, while promoting long-term solutions and empowerment.
Exciting opportunity to join a small, independent homelessness charity and become part of the team on a permanent contract. The main purpose of the role is to provide support and assistance to individuals who are homeless and vulnerably housed. You will contribute to the daily serving of food as well as the successful implementation of our support groups and programmes. The ideal candidate will have a strong passion for helping others and community transformation. They will be able to work on their own initiative and have previous experience working with vulnerable adults.
Please send your application with a CV and a cover letter detailing how you meet the criteria of the role and evidence of experience required to office@routestoroots.org.
Closing date for applications: Sunday, 30th March 2025
Please Help Us Provide More Support to Those in Need This Winter
As the winter months approach, the challenges faced by those sleeping rough become even more severe.
At Routes to Roots, we are committed to expanding our support services to ensure no one is left without a warm meal or a helping hand during these colder days.
To meet the increasing demand, we are excited to announce our plan to expand our breakfast service from two mornings a week to five.
This initiative will allow us to reach more individuals in need, offering them a nutritious start to their day. To make this possible, we are seeking dedicated volunteers to assist with preparing and serving breakfasts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings between 09:45 AM and 12:00 PM. No cooking experience is required – just a willingness to make a difference in someone’s life.
Additionally, we are also in need of volunteers to help during our busier lunch periods, which run from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM on all days.
Your time and effort can provide crucial support to those who rely on our services, especially during these challenging times.
At Routes to Roots, the summer season is as busy as ever. We continue to see a large number of individuals at risk of or facing homelessness.
The number of people sleeping on the streets across BCP is at its highest in many years.
With growing challenges in accessing accommodation, the need for hot meals, laundry facilities, and showers is more crucial than ever.
Our Summer Appeal for financial and material donations will allow us to keep the Genesis Centre running as a vital space where individuals can meet their essential needs.
This centre also serves as a hub for accessing critical wellbeing support services.
Routes to Roots relies on the ongoing help of the local community to provide these essential services. No donation is too small, and all contributions directly support the charity’s work.
So many of you have already given and had a positive impact on numerous lives.
Six months on from completing the Routes to Roots Pillar Programme, Andrew who helped with communications, has some news for you all…
Hello everybody.
It’s been a while since I wrote a piece for the newsletter and I thought I could do an update for you all.
First. What a winter so far and very challenging for a rough sleeper. Lots of rain and very strong winds, also two very cold spells leading to S W E P protocol being called and up to twelve people staying at the Genesis Centre at night. I stayed one night the first time and three nights the second, and it was a warm and dry place to be. So huge thanks to Routes to Roots, Ben and the volunteers that made it all possible.
What have I been doing lately. Well a year has gone by since I first came here and that feels a bit odd. A whole year gone. I think my well being and life have been given a positive boost by helping out here sometimes and also volunteering at the soup run five nights a week. Structure, meaning and positivity all good for well being..
The future. Planning for the future has been in progress and with help from Ben and Tracy at Routes to Roots and very proactive encouragement, I now have a job.
Yes a job.
Being homeless is not a barrier to getting a job, but it definitely does not make it easy. My own fear of rejection and my age being against me made me unsure I wanted to put myself through the rejection. Well a couple of upsets to start but good support from everyone and some prayers helped me stay on track and just be me. And that is why I have a job by just being me. I was noticed at the train station and how I behaved and interacted with people travelling through on their journeys. It led to a job offer of two days a week which I have now started. Just what I wanted. The start of a plan that might take a couple of years to show and the result I want, A place to call home.
Everyone involved at Routes to Roots has in some way helped me on this new venture and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Andrew.
What an amazing afternoon we had with Ojo’s Woodfired Pizza. Thank you so much to Ollie and Joe for coming down to the Genesis Centre and supplying delicious pizza to the homeless and vulnerably housed of Poole.
A huge thank you to all of those who contributed to Ojo’s ‘Slice of Support’ campaign – it gave joy to so many. A Slice Of Support supports local charities in the amazing work that they do. Ojo’s goal is to take donations from their customers and website visitors either online or at their events. These donated funds then enable them to cook at locations to serve those who either find it difficult to afford food or to those who deserve it the most in the community and they charge them nothing.
Brilliant work guys – making a positive impact, one slice at a time!
If your business or organisation would like to make a difference to the lives of those experiencing homelesness, please get in touch.
With recent freezing temperatures both before and after Christmas, SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol) has been called over certain periods. SWEP aims to help vulnerable people who are rough sleeping when severe weather threatens their safety.
Due to an incredible amount of hard work by our volunteers and the Genesis Centre Manager Ben, with support from workers from St Mungos, we were able to offer 12 rough sleepers beds during these periods.
This has meant so much to our charity.
When Routes to Roots started over 20 years ago, it was a dream to have their own building to provide more services to those in desperate need.
Through the incredible support of the local community that dream came true with the opening of the Genesis Centre in 2021.
After securing our own building, one objective was to be able to offer shelter to the homeless during the most challenging weather conditions. During these particularly difficult times this has now became a reality.
We would not be able to do this without your support. Because of you, 12 people have had a warm bed on these freezing nights. Because of you, we can continue to show care and compassion to those that feel there is none left.
Thank you for making our dreams and goals happen. Thank you for thinking of others.
Wow! It’s been an incredibly busy time at the Genesis Centre over the Christmas period and we wanted to take a moment to say thank you!
Once again we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the local community.
Thank you to everyone who has donated, volunteered and supported us, not just over the festive period but throughout 2023 – without you we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, so we cannot say it loud enough… THANK YOU!!
What a wonderful evening we had – celebrating the amazing work of all our incredible volunteers in 2023 and thanking all of our supporters.
The evening was also a chance to say goodbye and thank you to our administrator for the last 7 years, Elaine and welcome our new administrator Tracy.
Thank you so much to Rick Stein, Sandbanks for once again supplying the delicious canapés – your generosity is truly appreciated.
Thank you also to Parkstone Yacht Club for donating another wonderful Christmas Tree – it looks fantastic and has made the Genesis Centre feel very festive!🎄
Our local community is simply the best and we’re glad we can have nights like this to celebrate the kindness of others and say a HUGE thank you. 💛
Anyone’s life can unravel for a number of reasons at anytime. There is no one cause of homelessness and each individual’s story is unique.
At Routes to Roots we are here to help make sense of the chaos felt when life is unravelling, when people may feel that they have nowhere left to turn.
With your help we can be there for those most vulnerable in our local community this Christmas.
Your donation will help us keep providing food, clothing and support to those who are homeless and vulnerably housed. No one should feel alone at anytime, but Christmas can be especially difficult and with the current cost of living crisis, we really do need your help more than ever.
Thank you as always for your incredible kindness and support, it really will make a direct difference to someone’s life this Christmas.
