January 2012
Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New year???
Just a message to say that Rhondda Cynon Taf are providing a service for homeless people when the temprature drops to below freezing. They will find a person that is rough sleeping accommodation for the duration of the cold snap. But once the temprature climbs above freezing the accommodation will end. Contact the Hosuing Help Centre in Pontypridd for more information 01443 424000.
Speaking of help during the winter, our hostels are usually full most of the time but our StreetSmarts service may be able to offer some practical support - a shower; washing clothes; specialist housing advice and even a sleeping bag. We run the service in Pontypridd (01443 486439) and Merthyr Tydfil (01685 722727) from the hostels. Give them a call if you want this support.
November 2011
It's November 3rd and we took delivery today of our new van which will be used for collections for the charity shop/Acquire project. When not used there it will be available for the benefit of our service users (though driven by staff). Drive carefully!
October 2011
1. Our Community Support Division recently organised their service user forum. This brings together all our floating support servcie users and gives them a chance to help us develop our services and comment on those we already provide. A previous forum lead to the development of our Sustain project in Merthyr Tydfil when some users said they felt worried about their support simply stopping and wanted to mintain a lower of level of contact for a while. Thanks to all the service users that came along. Pics in the upcoming annual report.
2. So anyway, a man has been coming back and forth most weeks since we opened the shop. He has a look around but never buys anything, just puts a pound in our collection box (which is by the till if you are thinking of putting a pound in there yourself). Paul, the shop manager, has had chats with him about the work that we do. The man came back last week and handed Paul a cheque for £1,000 towards our work wth the homeless. He insisted on the donation being anonymous. Now, we are used to having the people of Rhondda Cynon Taf giving us great dontions of clothes and bric-a-brac etc, but we just wanted this particular one recognised and putting it here gives us an opportunity to say thanks the man of mystery for his spectacular generosity.
September 2011
Adref Annual Report
We are just in the process of producing this ready for our November 10th AGM. Just wanted to mention an incredible achievemnet of our Floating Support team that works with 60 people at any one time. For the 6th year in succession they have had zero voids. Turnover within the scheme averages out at 360% (some similar organisations tend to aim for 100%). And our service outcomes and reviews are incredibly complimentary. Congratulations to Wayne, Mandy, Howard, Angharad, Neil, Lee, Debbie and Clare.
New funding!!!
What a way to start the month! Just heard from the South East Wales Community Development Fund and RCTCBC that we have just received a significant grant from them to help fund the Acquire project (our charity shop/social enterprise project). So we have enough money to buy a new van for the project (the shop manager's car will be v relieved! And post pics when you get it! ed) and toward salary costs from April 2012. How exciting :-)
August 2011
Litter Pick
For the second year running staff and residents at Garth Villas were asked if they would like to take part in a local community litter pick that was being arranged by Tidy Towns and Communities first. The area to be cleaned was around the outside of the hostel and the local resident area. We had enjoyed it last year and everyone thought this would be a good idea, it would allow us to ensure the local area was safe and clean, free from any hazards that could pose harm to people walking or playing in the area. We also felt it would be good to use this opportunity to raise our profile in the community and show local residents the work that we do within the hostel.
We were joined on the day by ‘Kirby’ and ‘Enviroman’, who were great fun and the children thoroughly enjoyed!
Staff and residents met up with the staff from tidy towns who handed out the safety clothing that was to be worn and the equipment needed to pick up the rubbish, and after a safety briefing, we all got down to work. During the day we managed to remove about 10 sacks full of litter from the area surrounding the hostel, and 3 mattresses that had been dumped in the wooded area nearby. Residents also decided that they would clean out the stream that runs through the area. They did not want the children to do this as it was very slippery to get down to the stream and there were concerns the younger ones would fall and injure themselves.
We decided that as a thank you to those who took the time to take part in the event, staff would put on a buffet and supply drinks. All the children and parents who had been involved came to the back yard area where there was plenty of food and drink to go around. It was during this time that parents from the area would come and have a look around the garden area and ask staff questions about what goes on here and what the aims of the projects are. We found this opportunity very rewarding and it definitely allowed us to show the hard work that goes on at the hostel, from both staff and residents.
Nichola Rowberry – Garth Villas
For more pictures, have a look at the Litter Pick here – Well done to all! (ed)
Shop Opening
On August 8th, we were pleased to welcome broadcaster and entertainer Beverley Humphreys to officially open the shop on 49 Mill Street Pontypridd. She spoke movingly about working with the homeless and the value she places on the Adref hostel at Mill Street. She added that she thought that the shop would be invaluable in helping the more vulnerable in society attain skills that may allow them access to the employment market. You can see pictures of the occasion and buffet afterwards at the hostel here
Putting Together the Annual Report
We are in the process of putting together our latest annual report. If you have received a service from Adref over the last year and would like to feed in any comments, stories or photos/pictures, let us know here
July 2011
Our first bit of news is very exciting. Adref opened its first charity shop on July 1st!
As this is Adref though, it’s not a run of the mill charity shop. It will actively contribute to our service users Adref experience. For much more information, and how you can contribute or participate, please click here.
