Tag Archives: Green Pastures

 
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2016HS ChurchSleeper2
Our celebration on Homeless Sunday was a great success with a good attendance of generous people who donated £351.85 at the end of the service. Pastor Pete (in flat cap) spoke about the work being done to house the homeless which he described as “some of the most important, if not most important, work being done in the nation today.” Other speakers spoke from their own experiences of how easy it is to become homeless and how anyone can become homeless. The point was also very strongly made that local authorities cannot be relied on to help. Without organisations such as Green Pastures and now Routes to Roots, people would be left under Southport Pier or frozen into their sleeping bags in Poole Park.
Many thanks to Madeleine who served coffee and cookies courtesy of Starbucks on Poole High Street, to Pete and Lisa from the Vineyard who led the hymn singing and to Skinner Street URC who provide office and drop-in space and without whom R2R would be homeless.

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2016 Homeless Sunday
The Trustees of Routes to Roots are delighted to invite you to a service of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the work being carried out in Poole to alleviate the problems facing Homeless people in our town. We will be particularly celebrating the fact that at the end of the year we were able to take 3 vulnerable individuals off the streets and offer them supported accommodation in our very own ‘Amos House’. We are excited that Pastor Pete, founder of the charity Green Pastures which made this possible, will be joining us as our guest speaker. Following the service there will be displays, videos and refreshments to enjoy. Trustees, volunteers and some of our homeless friends will all be there. PLEASE come and MEET us and PRAY with us that TOGETHER we will hear more about what GOD is calling us to do here in POOLE.
Sunday 24 January 2016, 3.00pm-5.00pm
United Reformed Church, Skinner St., Poole BH15 1RQ

 
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Thanks to the support of a national Christian social enterprise, Routes to Roots is now able to offer supported accommodation to three of Poole’s rough sleepers. Green Pastures has bought a maisonette, which will house three Routes to Roots’ clients and Routes to Roots is now in the process of repairs, redecoration and furnishing to enable them to move in.

The three clients will each have their own bedroom and share bathroom, kitchen and living space. Routes to Roots will work closely with them to support them as they take this first step back into society. The charity is conscious that, in order to maintain their accommodation once housed, many people require significant support if they are not to fall back into homelessness because they are unable to cope alone with paying their rent and bills, making benefits claims and job applications or are still struggling with alcohol or drug addictions.

Routes to Roots’ numbers on homelessness are broadly in line with national statistics and housing shortages for its client group are particularly severe in Poole. Sadly, many of those who are on the streets are long-term rough sleepers or people who recycle into homelessness. Although the official Poole street count in November 2014 found just seven rough sleepers in the town, Routes to Roots has records on 17 people who were either rough sleeping or sofa surfing at that time – and they were only the people who came to the charity for help.

This new venture has already won support in the community with Highworth Insurance employees undertaking a wide range of fundraising activities to be able to provide some of the white goods needed for the kitchen. A team from the Footprints Life Works Project and a local professional builder have agreed to help with the renovations at minimal cost and the charity is approaching other local groups for volunteer help and donations in cash and kind.

Revd. Pat Southgate, Routes to Roots Chairman, says: “For Routes to Roots this is, of course, pastures new and we go into it with our eyes open and well aware of the challenges ahead. Compared to the stone cold concrete of a town centre car park, where they are most likely to currently reside, this accommodation is a major step forward. We have been assured by Green Pastures that they intend that this property will be the first of many they are willing to obtain for us and we are grateful to them for their faith in us and commitment to the rough sleepers of Poole”.

Despite having nearly 700 bed spaces throughout the UK this is Green Pastures’ very first partnership in the region and one of only a handful on the South Coast where the need is so great.

“Meeting the team at Routes to Roots was an amazing time”’ says Pastor Pete Cunningham, Director of Green Pastures. “Sitting round a table and discussing the needs of the homeless in the area with such an enthusiastic group, who were ready to launch out in the deep to meet the needs of those that are vulnerable. It was a truly inspiring afternoon. Now we have succeeded in purchasing the first of what I hope will be many homes to begin to end homelessness in Poole. I am praying that the blessing of God that makes rich and adds no sorrow will be their portion.”

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You may have read in our Summer Newsletter that we are well on the way to being able to offer supported housing to some of Poole’s rough sleepers. This is thanks to the support of a national Christian social enterprise, Green Pastures, who are buying a maisonette for us, which will house three of Poole’s homeless community.

Revd. Pat Southgate, Routes to Roots Chairman, says: “For Routes to Roots this is, of course, pastures new and we go into it with our eyes open and well aware of the challenges ahead. Compared to the stone cold concrete of a town centre car park, where they are most likely to currently reside, this accommodation is a major step forward. We have been assured by Green Pastures that they intend that this property will be the first of many they are willing to obtain for us and we are grateful to them for their faith in us and commitment to the rough sleepers of Poole”.

Green Pastures asks us to demonstrate the support that the community has for this venture by just ten individuals or groups becoming Good Samaritans for Routes to Roots. This involves committing to a donation of just £4.50 per month to Green Pastures to enable them to continue their good work. Can you do this for us?

Please sign up below:

https://docs.google.com/a/greenpastures.net/forms/d/1kYcLSgyMQCfMRkqPZFj8tb27FZDKFjBQd6DqL-FSj_A/viewform

Further information on Green Pastures: http://greenpastures.net/

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