The Clean Machine, a mobile laundry service based in Bournemouth, now attends our Wednesday afternoon drop-ins to allow the guys to get their clothing and sleeping bags washed and dried.
Tag Archives: Drop-In
Jenny and Pat featured on BBC TV’s South Today programme on 4 April and this feature has become the third most watched video online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-dorset-43671269/the-dorset-chiropodist-healing-homeless-people-s-feet/
On the last Friday evening of 2017 Jenny Donovan, our long-term volunteer chiropodist, arrived at the drop-in and sat herself in a quiet corner to wash and tend to feet and fit new shoes. Jenny, a self-employed Chiropodist, has since 2009 been treating R2R clients at our evening drop-ins on the last Friday in every month. Sore feet are inevitable in our clients’ way of life and treatment a luxury that none could ever contemplate before Jenny joined our team of volunteers. Most have very damp or wet feet because their shoes are on all the time, and often they walk all day. In 2017 Jenny started to buy shoes herself to ensure that those sleeping rough had something waterproof and suitable for a hard day, and night, on the streets. Thanks to a grant from the Haddon Trust, R2R is now able to support Jenny financially with her purchases.
Routes to Roots’ Trustees, volunteers and clients were delighted to welcome the Ven. Karen Gorham, Bishop Designate of Sherborne, at their drop-in on Thursday. Karen came to Poole specifically to meet them on the very day her appointment was announced by Number 10. This was a tremendous honour.
At the drop-in, among others, she met Steve, who spent five years sleeping on the streets before being helped into living independently by the charity – he has now lived in his own home for three years. She also met Eddie and Susan, volunteers who have cooked Christmas lunch for the clients every year for the past eight years.
Karen was also taken to Amos House, the charity’s new supported accommodation for three rough sleepers. She blessed the house, which will have its first occupants in a matter of days as final paperwork is completed.
Revd. Pat Southgate, chairman of Routes to Roots, said: “This was a wonderful day for all of us and we were really happy to be able to keep our drop-in open all afternoon for the clients. Before she left, Karen gave me an envelope, which I was delighted to find contained her completed Routes to Roots’ membership form and fee. She has also agreed to become a Patron. We look forward to seeing more of her as she settles into her new responsibilities.”
Karen’s consecration will take place on 24 February 2016 at Westminster Abbey before she joins the Diocese formally in March.
Bishop Rt Rev Moses Deng Bol of Wau diocese of the Episcopal Church of The Sudan joined us at a Friday evening Drop-In in June. Bishop Moses paid tribute to the volunteers preparing the food and also singled out those of our clients who have gone on to become volunteers themselves with R2R. One, George, is a regular helper at the Drop-Ins and was there on the night. He hoped many others will follow in their footsteps.
There is a strong deanery-to-diocese link between Wau and Poole, which began with a link between Poole Hospital and Wau Hospital. The Poole Africa link, supported by the Diocese of Salisbury, aims to set up basic teaching and training programmes for nurses, midwives and doctors at the hospital in Wau.
Wau Diocese covers two out of the 10 states of South Sudan. Bishop Moses was consecrated in 2009 and enthroned in 2010. He first visited Poole in 2010 and joined our Drop-In in 2011.
At the end of February Kelly Vickers, a mortgage consultant with Nationwide, joined R2R to help at an Afternoon Drop-In. Kelly brought a friend with her, Alice Neal who is a Bournemouth University student. Both ladies were quickly on board with preparing the sandwiches, toast and baked beans, and serving the guys as they came in for lunch. They both thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have decided to put their names forward for our permanent list of volunteers.
The Nationwide Citizenship Committee at the Bournemouth admininstration centre selected Routes to Roots as a charity to support in Autumn 2012. They have given £630 in direct donations to assist with our winter appeal and with drop-in food budgets. They also publicised volunteering opportunities to their staff. The building society nationally runs a scheme to encourage volunteering whereby staff are given two days paid leave a year specifically to volunteer.
Alice Neal (BU) on the left and Kelly Vickers (Nationwide) on the right