September 2017 Speaker
We were very pleased to welcome Lindsay Hurrell and Lydia Taylor who came to tell us about the work of CHESS, Churches Homeless Emergency Support Scheme
CHESS helps single homeless adults from a variety of backgrounds who have a range of complex needs, many of which have come from chaotic circumstances, often stemming back to childhood abuse. This trauma can lead to a breakdown and affect the way the person functions in society. Family relationships break down and unemployment probably contributes to people becoming homeless.
The charity seeks to relieve homelessness by providing night shelter, hot meals, hygiene facilities for the first 6 weeks, and counselling. If this is successful the participants will then be offered education and training locally with the hope that they will eventually find employment with the help of Wingspan Works.
CHESS has recently acquired the old Red Cross building in New London Road, and hope to raise enough money to proceed with the necessary refurbishment to make this their primary location. Lindsay showed us a video which demonstrated how difficult it must be for individuals to be brave enough to ask for help and then renounce their unsociable habits to come under the CHESS wing. It also demonstrated the change CHESS could make to their lives when they plucked up courage to ask for help and were willing to conform to the guidelines of CHESS.
CHESS will help adult of all ages, their eldest so far being 70 years old.