The Sandersons UK Christmas charity donation goes to...
Don't be too upset if you haven't have received a hand written Christmas card from us this year as we have donated the postage costs to a local homeless charity.
It is not the first time we've taken his approach and cut back on our Christmas card postage spend to allow us to donate to local charities. As an environmentally conscious agent, we also don't feel putting further burden on postal workers and the transport system at an already busy time of year is in line with our ethos. Thankfully we also embrace modern technology so send our Christmas well wishes to our customers past and present electronically.
Our chosen charity this year is Catching Lives. Matt & Heidi took a stroll over to their bookshop to make our £300 donation in person. It is located in one of the most photographed buildings in Canterbury, The Crooked House is also known as Sir John Boys House and is a delightfully skewed 17th century half-timbered three story building. Catching lives are aiming to raise £50,000 as part of their winter appeal to support the night centre and day services.
What is Catching Lives?
Catching Lives is an independent charity supporting people who are sleeping rough, homeless or insecurely housed in Canterbury and East Kent. It is aimed at people who have, for many reasons, fallen through the gaps in society and feel they have nowhere else to turn.
Catching Lives works towards ending the harm caused to individuals, families and the community, by homelessness, rough sleeping and insecure housing. They do this by offering immediate respite at the Canterbury Open Centre. In addition to this, they work with people to address any issues that they may have, to access suitable accommodation and find the motivation to take steps towards personal recovery and independent living.
Tell me about Catching Lives services?
Below are some of the invaluable services they offer:
- Food & Drink - breakfast and a freshly prepared two-course lunch are available to clients daily. Self-service tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cold drinks and biscuits during opening hours.
- Laundry - clients may do their own laundry using on-site washing machines and dryers with detergent provided.
- Clothes bank - people sleeping rough have access to a supply of donated clothes, including underwear, warm coats, hats & gloves.
- Toilets & showers - facilities were refurbished in autumn 2023 also providing clean towels and a range of toiletries.
- Storage - access a secure room to store one bag/suitcase of belongings to reduce the amount they need to carry and to safeguard valuables.
- Postal address - clients can use the Day Centre as a postal address, which is essential for claiming benefits, looking for work, or registering with a GP.
- Telephone, computer & internet access- Access technology at the Day Centre, either for tasks such as making a homeless application, job searches and emails or for leisure, studying and social networks.
- Mental Health Support - on-site Mental Health Specialist supporting clients with any mental health issues that may have.
- Nurse Drop-In - weekly drop-in sessions with a Kent Community Healthcare nurse are essential for clients to access medical assistance and get help to register with a GP. They also have health days with other services such as podiatry and DentAid.
- Forward Trust Appointments- for weekly support around drug or alcohol misuse
- Signposting - they can signpost people to specialist agencies such as domestic abuse support and veterans’ charities.
If you are interested in making a donation to the Catching Lives please click here.