Hestia Newsletter Spring 2012 Issue 1 Hestia Newsletter

Hestia Newsletter Spring 2012 Issue 1
In this issue
Hestia White
Ribbon Relay
4 Marathons
in 4 Days in
support of
Hestia p.2
Summer activities for kids in
Hestia’s refuges
p.2
Hestia’s 10k
Runners p.3
 Back on
Track gets up
and running
p.3
Working with
migrant women—Hestia’s
project to help
domestic violence victims
p.4
 The Age Activity Centre
kitchen gets a
revamp p.5
 Hestia Staff
Profile p.5
If you no longer wish
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know at Emily.gillatt@hestia.org
or contact us at Sovereign Court, 15-21
Staines Road,
Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 3HR
Hestia
Newsletter
Hestia Supporter Newsletter Summer 2012
We have a lot to tell you about in this issue of the newsletter. From exciting new projects such as new domestic
abuse services in Camden, to supporters giving their all
to raise funds for Hestia, there’s plenty to read about!
White Ribbon Relay 2012 marks the opening of new
Hestia domestic violence services in Camden
In July 2012 Hestia’s new domestic abuse services in Camden opened with a bang as Hestia
hosted the White Ribbon Relay.
from black and minority ethnic communities in
Camden, as well as a therapeutic programme for
women and children.
The National White Ribbon Relay’s baton
toured the country in the run-up to the Olympics to raise awareness of domestic violence, and
to ensure that men take more responsibility for
putting a stop to the problem.
After the event, the baton spent the night in one
of Hestia’s refuges in Camden, before being
passed to the London Borough of Waltham Forest for one of the final legs of the relay.
The relay sends a message of zero tolerance towards violence around Britain, asking men to
pledge that they will never commit or condone
violence against women.
Starting in Portsmouth and travelling as far
north as Newcastle, the baton travelled to over
20 towns and cities across the UK before arriving in Camden.
If you would like to sign the pledge never to
commit violence against women, visit:
www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk
If you would like to call Hestia’s new advice line
for domestic violence in Camden, please call:
020 7388 1500
The advice line is open to professionals and residents in Camden, and provides emotional support and help for service users in accessing other
Hestia were very proud to be a part of the White agencies and services that can provide support.
Ribbon Relay, and the event also marked the
official opening of Hestia’s new domestic violence services in Camden.
Hestia will provide refuge accommodation,
floating support services, an advice line, children’s services and a specific services for women
Hestia Newsletter
Page 2
Hadrian’s Wall is 84
miles long and runs
from Wallsend on
the River Tyne to
Solway Firth. The
wall was begun in
AD122, during the
rule of Emperor
Hadrian, to protect
Roman Britain from
the ‘barbarian’
Scots.
4 Marathons in 4 Days —Rosie and Donna hike
Hadrian’s Wall for Hestia
Over the August Bank Holiday,
Rosie and Donna will undertake a grueling challenge for
Hestia’s domestic violence
refuges in Hillingdon.
Manager of The Chimes, who
passed away in January. Tony
was a long-standing supporter
of Hillingdon Women’s Aid,
and Rosie and Donna are sure
that this would have been a
challenge and a cause close to
his own heart.
Over 4 days, Rosie and Donna
will walk Hadrian’s Wall from
end to end—84 miles in total.
That’s the equivalent of almost They have raised over £1500 so
a marathon each day!
far, an amazing total! The
money will be used by HillingRosie and Donna both work at
don Women’s Aid to provide
The Chimes Shopping Centre
emergency food and toiletries
in Uxbridge, and are undertakfor the women and cots, high
ing this challenge in memory
chairs and pushchairs, as well
of Tony Dunn, the General
as Christmas presents, for the
children in the refuges.
Rosie and Donna would love to
have your support, which will
help them to keep going during what is sure to be their
longest Bank Holiday weekend
ever!
Donate money at the JustGiving page here: http://
www.justgiving.com/
rosiecbarker
You can also send in blister
plasters to the Hestia offices
and we’ll make sure they get
them in good time!
It’s summertime - (honest!) - and Hestia’s staff are working hard
to provide playschemes for children in our refuges
Creative art
activities in the
playroom help
children to express
their feelings and
recover from the
trauma of domestic
violence (and have
fun!)
The summer brings a challenge Simone Morrison, Children and one child. We’re also joining up
that will be familiar to all parFamily Worker at Wandsworth with Kingston for our trip to the
ents—how to entertain the kids! Women’s Aid, tells us about the seaside as it helps to keep costs
down. ”
challenges she faces.
For staff in Hestia’s domestic
abuse services, providing sum“Its difficult to find discounts
However, despite the challengmer playschemes is made even
and run everything we want to. es, Simone is certain of the benmore difficult by the situation of We just ring up and ask for dis- efit to the children. “They smile
the women and children in the counts – most places give us
and they are so happy. They talk
refuges.
one. I’m completely shameless
about it for weeks afterwards,
about asking.”
literally weeks. When we went
Women often arrive at Hestia’s
to the London Aquarium they
refuges with nothing, after flee- Hestia try to secure charitable
talked about the fish for weeks.
ing their homes. They leave
funding for our playschemes,
” Hopefully the trip to Legoland
everything behind and usually
but in the current economic
this summer will be just as pophave to survive on benefits until climate, this is one of the areas
ular!
they are able to leave the refuge. where we are seeing
major cutbacks.
This means that Hestia’s Children and Family workers have
“We try to make sure
that the activities are
to plan activities that are as
economical as possible, but still planned really well and
fun and enjoyable. They usually cover as much travel
plan a few big trips, but most of costs as possible, so
that we keep costs as
the activities take place in the
low as possible. It can
refuge playroom or at local
get really expensive for
parks, cinemas and swimming
the mothers, especially
pools.
if they have more than Holiday activities will take place in the refuge
playroom
Hestia Newsletter
Page 3
10k runners brave the pouring rain to support Hestia
L-R—Chris, Alina, Simone, Laura, Emily and any kind of race, mersmith and Fulham, while
Emily donated her money to
Sarah looking cool and calm before the race... and the event
The run takes place
in July each year.
Hestia have 6 places
available for 2013—if
you’d like to run for
Hestia let us know at
emily.gillatt@hestia.org
Hopefully next year
will be sunnier!
Do you
want to
help out at
Hestia?
We are currently
looking for a
volunteer minibus driver for
Fridays at our
Age Activity
Centre in
Tooting. If you
are interested in
volunteering,
please contact
Sadiyah
Muhammad—
Sadiyah.Muhammad
@hestia.org
or 02087678426
On July 8th, 6 Hestia staff
members ran the British 10k
race through central London.
They braved crowds, illness,
injury and torrential rain to
complete the race in good
time, with a few of them even
exceeding the targets they set
for themselves.
has sparked a
passion for running in the
team. “I want to
go out running
again as soon as
possible,” Simone said, only two
days after the
race. “I don’t want to stop running just because the race is
over.”
help provide children’s activities at the Hackney domestic
violence refuges that fit
around the problems caused
by the Olympics.
Chris raised the most, and split
his funds between providing a
new computer for service users at one of Hestia’s mental
health projects, and Hestia’s
new Healthy Lives project.
The team would like to say a
The team raised a whopping
big thank you to everyone who
£1675 In total, with the money
sponsored them. Particular
going to various projects nomithanks go to Simone’s mum,
nated by the team.
Felixia Edwin, who hosted a
Laura donated her funds to the bake sale at her office, The
fund for the new playhut at
National Treatment Agency for
The team included staff memone of the Kingston refuges,
Substance Misuse, which
bers from across Hestia’s serand Alina and Simone donated raised a fantastic £190!
vices. It featured Simone and
theirs to the extenAlina from Wandsworth Womsion to the playroom
en’s Aid, Laura from Kingston
at Wandsworth
Women’s Aid, Sarah from
Women’s Aid.
Hammersmith and Fulham
Offenders Services, and Chris
Sarah’s funds will
and Emily from Head Office.
help to do up the
garden and provide
All the team loved particiboxing circuit training
pating in the event. Only Sarah
at one of the offendLooking distinctly more tired after
had previously taken part in
er projects in Hamthe race!
Back on Track—supporting ex-offenders to rebuild their lives
Hestia’s innovative new project to help exoffenders, Back on Track, got off to a flying
start in May 2012, training the first groups of
peer-trainers and peer mentors. The programme is aimed at supporting ex-offenders to
make sense of and manage the psychological
shift needed to move from prison back into the
community. “When I got out I felt like I had a
big sign on my head saying ‘Criminal’,” says a
Hestia service user regarding his experiences.
no matter how much you want to rehabilitate
you don’t know what that looks like. Back on
Track addresses these issues by saying: YOU
are the point of reference and it encourages
individuals to understand the feelings that are
felt but could not name e.g. disconnected,“
reports Mimi Nuñez-Trejos, Peer Trainer.
Research from the New Economics Foundation
has shown every £1 invested in support-based
alternatives to prison could generate £14 worth
“When leaving prison and the gates are behind of social value, and Hestia are hoping that
you there is a big space between you and the
Back on Track will be equally successful.
world. You’ve waited for ‘that’ day and then it’s
Hestia have now trained 3 peer-trainers and 5
like you’ve been dropped in the middle of the
peer-mentors, and the first training course for
ocean: no point of reference, nothing to hold
ex-offenders started in June 2012. “I know that
on to, nothing solid to build on and no matter
my resettlement would have been better if I
which way you turn; it feel like it’s the wrong
had done Back on Track; that is why I deliver
way. It’s hard to reconnect, because you’re not
the programme,” says Mimi.
sure what you’re supposed to reconnect to,
who to ask because no one seems to know and
Hestia Newsletter
Page 4
Working with migrant women—Hestia’s project to help domestic violence victims
F
The Henry Smith
Charity will fund
Hestia’s project to
help women with
no access to
public funds.
“When you start
a group with a
selection of men
who would rather
be anywhere, including back in
prison, but in a
room working on
their offending
behaviour. Yet
by the end of a
two and a half
hour session they
are contributing
in a positive fashion and speaking
more positively
about their future
than when you
started.” Paul Ride, Back on
Track Resettlement
Co-ordinator, on why
he likes his job p.5
unding from the Henry Smith Charity:
Generous funding from
the Henry Smith Charity in March will allow Hestia to
continue their project and help
an additional 34 domestic violence victims who have no recourse to public funds over the
next two years. This will include
providing basic accommodation
needs for the women, providing
them with support to pursue
their claim to stay legally in the
UK, and helping their children to
overcome the trauma caused by
witnessing or experiencing domestic violence.
will probably endure more abuse,
and may even see her children
abused.
How Hestia helps
Why Hestia needs to help
Through the funds Hestia has
received from the Henry Smith
Migrant women who experience
Charity, we are able to support a
domestic violence fall into one of
woman and her children during
the biggest funding gaps in the
this difficult time. The grant coUK. These women have come to
vers the cost of accommodation
the UK legally—either on a
for the woman while she is applyspousal, student or work visa—
ing for Leave to Remain in the
and have then experienced often
UK, which all domestic violence
terrible violence at the hands of
victims on spousal visas are entitheir partner.
tled to. If the woman has a stuDue to their immigration status, dent or work visa, she can be
they are not entitled to the bene- supported by Hestia while she
fits such as housing benefit or Job applies for asylum, as it is often
Seekers Allowance which support the case that women who leave
the majority of women who flee
their partners are subject to vioto our refuges. This lack of money lence upon returning to their
to support herself and her family home country.
means that a woman often has
When a woman arrives in one of
the choice of being homeless and
our refuges, she has often fled
destitute, or returning home to
extreme violence and is usually
her violent partner, where she
highly-stressed. She has usually
left everything, including friends,
family, possessions and her
home, in order to escape her
violent partner. Her children
have also suffered terribly, and
have left their school, friends and
toys.
The woman is supported by an
experienced caseworker, who
helps her to rebuild her life by
securing the money and housing
she needs, as well as helping her
to overcome the emotional effects
of domestic violence. The women is supported to begin courses
such as ESOL and work-skills
training, with the ultimate aim
being to help her to become independent when she leaves the
refuge.
Her children are also supported,
with dedicated children’s support
workers providing play therapy
for both the children on their
own, and sessions to help them
rebuild their bond with their
mothers.
A Happy Ending
Through Hestia’s support, the
woman is supported to move on
to new, safe accommodation once
her Leave to Remain has been
confirmed. She is enabled to access the benefits she is now entitled to, and supported to gain the
skills to start a new job, often via
volunteering with Hestia. If necessary, she is offered continuing
support from our out-reach services. Her children are supported
to find school places, and to overcome the trauma of witnessing
domestic violence.
With help from Hestia and the
Henry Smith Charity, a woman
and her children are able to rebuild their lives and move on to a
happier future.
Hestia Newsletter
Page 5
The kitchen at the Age Activity Centre gets a revamp!
Donate to Hestia
online at
www.justgiving.com
/hestia
Or send a cheque
to:
Hestia Housing and
Support
Sovereign Court,
15-21 Staines Road,
Hounslow,
Middlesex,
TW3 3HR
In the next
issue:
 Find out how
Rosie and Donna
did in the
Hadrian’s Wall
Challenge
 Rumble at Lilley
Road—Boxing
circuit training in
ex-offender
services
Healthy Lives—
Hestia’s new
project to improve
the physical health
of mental health
service users
 Celebrating
Christmas across
Hestia’s services
 Hestia’s new
community mental
health services in
Hounslow
 Another Hestia
Staff Profile
The kitchen at Hestia’s Age
Activity Centre has recently
received a revamp thanks to
the kind support of the Elise
Pilkington Trust.
The kitchen, which was last
renovated in 1995, has been
upgraded with new sinks, cupboards, flooring and drawers,
and a new coat of paint to
make it bright and cheerful.
The Age Activity Centre, in
Tooting, Wandsworth, provides
low-cost, healthy meals for
older people in the borough
four days a week, ranging from
traditional Caribbean favourites
to healthy fish and vegetable
options. The service is much
appreciated by the older people using the centre, who like
the value it represents, as well
as the chance to socialise with
friends while dining. “A lot of
people come for lunch; it’s
often full to the seams,” says
improve the Age Activity CenPearl Barnes, one of our service tre, including the addition of a
users.
downstairs computer room,
and replacing the old music
The new kitchen will be imsystem so that the Christmas
portant to other social events
Party is jollier than ever!
at the Age Activity Centre as
well—the centre
regularly hosts parties such as our recent Jubilee Celebration Party.
The Jubilee Party was
a roaring success,
with a visit from the
Mayor of Wandsworth, music from
the gospel choir and
a poetry reading
from one of the service users, as well as
delicious food and
drink, and of course
the National Anthem.
Hestia are working
on other ways to
Jubilee decorations in the conservatory at
the Age Activity Centre
Staff Profile: Paul Ride, Back on Track Resettlement Co-ordinator
What do I do in an average day: Liaise with managers and staff at Hestia Approved Premises
and Hostels with regard to training and delivery to service users (SUs). I make links with prospective peer mentors/facilitators to assess their suitability and ability to work with our client group. I
supervise delivery of the Back on Track programme at 4 Hestia accommodation sites/Boroughs
(soon to be 5 London Boroughs). I create, improve, enhance and develop work sheets and resources to aid delivery and SU involvement. I ‘try’ to control the petty cash! I work to generate
links with providers who can offer services to our clients, trainers, support agencies etc. When
required I deliver training and supervise front-line staff attempting to improve, and assist their
personal development, the quality of service that we can offer SUs. I attend meetings and generally
attempt to develop and spread the word about the Back on Track programme.
What do I like about my job: When you start a group with a selection of men who would
rather be anywhere, including back in prison, but in a room working on their offending behaviour.
Yet by the end of a two and a half hour session they are contributing in a positive fashion and
speaking more positively about their future than when you started.
What don’t I like about my job: The number of service users that we are working with is
small, I’d like our delivery to assist a far greater number of ex-offenders – but Rome wasn’t built in
a day!
Why is my job important to Hestia: This type of programme used to be delivered by statutory services, prisons or education provision within the Criminal Justice System, but due to funding
cuts this is no longer the case. If we do not provide this vital developmental training opportunity to
the ex-offender client group then they will, in many cases, be unable to learn the new skills that
will assist them in breaking the cycle of recidivism.