CIO Status and Renewed Direction for Poole Homelessness Charity
Routes to Roots is delighted to announce that its application for Charitable Incorporated Organisation status was accepted by the Charity Commissioners on 26 February 2014. Routes to Roots (Poole) CIO has been entered onto the Register of Charities with the Registered Charity Number 1155945.
Routes to Roots (R2R) has operated in Poole for 14 years and registered as a charity in 2002. Throughout this time, the charity has evolved, formalised its governance and initiated various activities to meet its aims. As a CIO, Routes to Roots will be able to own property, employ staff and enter into other contracts in its own name rather than in the names of the Trustees. CIO status will give greater stability as the charity looks to the future.
R2R in partnership with Bournemouth Churches Housing Organisation has been delivering outreach services (POST) to rough sleepers in Poole since 2009. Poole and Bournemouth Borough Councils have now jointly contracted with another organisation, CRI, to deliver this service across the whole conurbation. R2R has, therefore, taken the opportunity to review its core activities, resulting in a greater emphasis on the new projects and programmes that R2R has been introducing in recent years.
The charity feels that this is a great opportunity for it to concentrate on actions that will promote the reintegration of rough sleepers, vulnerably housed people and the newly homed into society. Specifically, R2R will continue with its twice weekly Evening and Afternoon Drop-Ins at Skinner Street URC, its thriving Holton Lee Outdoor Project and Winter Hot Breakfast provision for rough sleepers. In addition the charity will recruit a Projects Co-Ordinator to plan and implement further projects and activities aimed at helping its clients move back into ‘normal’ society by providing support, guidance and skills training.
The Revd Pat Southgate, Chair of Routes to Roots (Poole) CIO and Chaplain to the Homeless in Poole, comments: “This is an exciting time for us as an organisation and we hope our revised focus will result in continually improving outcomes for our clients. We know from the sad news of five recent deaths among our client community that years of rough sleeping take their toll on the health and self worth of people. We have wanted for some time to devote more of our efforts to ending the recycling of homelessness by supporting people even after they are accommodated with both practical help, such as helping them learn how to cook and manage their money, and with motivational opportunities that teach teamwork, and develop self-confidence and employable skills.
“Getting people off the streets is only the start of what will always be a long and difficult journey. Without ongoing help it is unlikely that many will be able to rebuild their lives and keep their accommodation. Our future work will be an important support mechanism along the way.”