LEAP
The LEAP project offers people with experience of homelessness the opportunity to volunteer and provide support to others going through similar challenges.
LEAP – the Lived Experience into Action Project – sees volunteers follow a tailored programme of support to not only help service users at the Good Shepherd, but also take advantage of training opportunities to develop their own skills.
The project aims to prevent a return to rough sleeping for people with a history of homelessness through a mix of intensive support and peer led interventions.
LEAP also offers training and volunteer placements for people with lived experience of homelessness, addiction, mental health or other related issues to become “peer navigators” who can provide support for people to maintain their properties and reintegrate with the community.
- For more information email Chris Cole – [email protected]
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Our staff also offer many different types of advice and support in other areas to help support people in their recovery. This can be practical advice with regards to their tenancies, and general wellbeing, but also more specific work around improving their mental health. We are also now focusing on a females only group, providing support and a safe space for women who have experienced homelessness and other vulnerabilities.
MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES
After listening to the issues and challenges people sleeping rough face on a daily basis, we developed a meaningful activity programme for people with experience of homelessness.
Our aim is to reduce social isolation and give people a safe environment where they can engage in meaningful activity and build a positive peer network. Once people move into accommodation they can continue to engage with the sessions and be part of the groups.
These programmes are designed to help service users develop important practical skills whilst also improving their mental health and wellbeing and reducing isolation.
These include activities such as football, art and photography, cookery, both informal and structured discussion groups and the opportunity to volunteer.
As of the summer of 2023, we had also re-started boxing and fishing sessions.
We also link closely with other local agencies and charities, such as Recovery Near You, and also host Narcotics Anonymous meetings at our premises.
For Recovery month both in 2019 and 2021 we put on an exhibition that included artwork from our own group featuring alongside established artists and service users from the recovery service.
We also staged our own exhibition as part of being one of the ambassadors for the British Art Show in 2022, showing that even when people are sleeping rough and in early stages of recovery, they have skills, talents and strengths.
You can view a virtual tour of the exhibition HERE or download the accompanying magazine HERE
- For more details about the meaningful activity programme email [email protected]