18 March 2020

At Thames Reach, we are closely monitoring developments relating to the spread of COVID-19 in order to best ensure the health and wellbeing of the homeless and vulnerable people we work with, as well as of our staff, volunteers, and the wider public. We are following advice issued by Public Health England and continuing conversations with commissioners, local providers, and health services so we can use the resources we have wisely, and to ensure that we are able to respond to this rapidly changing situation.

Our outreach teams work 365 days of the year, and we continue to go out to find people who are sleeping rough, offering them the support they need to get off the streets. These teams are advised to follow guidance provided by Public Health England with regard to people sleeping rough who are displaying coronavirus symptoms, and we are calling upon local authorities to provide environments where individuals can safely and securely self-isolate.

On behalf of Thames Reach, our Chief Executive, Bill Tidnam, has co-signed a letter to the government, along with senior figures from across the homelessness sector, outlining a set of measures that we believe will help protect homeless and vulnerable people during this ongoing crisis. This outline includes the request that homeless people should be allocated self-contained accommodation with sufficient resources with which to self-isolate. People who are rough sleeping are three times more likely to suffer with chronic illnesses including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and so must be supported as a matter of urgency.

The open letter can be read below, which we have signed with Crisis, Homeless Link, St Mungo’s, Centrepoint, The Passage, Groundswell, Shelter Cymru, Homeless Network Scotland and Connection at St Martin’s.

Thank you for your ongoing support during this challenging time.

Dear Prime Minister, 

As Chief Executives of leading homelessness charities, we appreciate the significant pressure the Government is facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and stand ready to lend our support as you set out plans to help protect the most vulnerable in our society, including people who are facing homelessness. 

People experiencing homelessness, particularly those who are rough sleeping, are especially vulnerable in this outbreak. They are three times more likely to experience a chronic health condition including asthma and COPD. It is therefore vital that they are recognised as a vulnerable group for the purposes of government planning. 

We note the publication of Public Health England’s information on COVID-19 for hostel or day centre providers of services for people experiencing rough sleeping. We are concerned that these measures however, fail to provide the much more comprehensive plan and wide-ranging action needed to ensure that everyone facing homelessness is provided with self-contained accommodation, to ensure that they can self-isolate, and that people experiencing financial hardship are not left facing homelessness as a result of the impact of COVID-19. 

Please find enclosed a full set of measures that we believe will help ensure people facing homelessness are protected during this period. 

As a matter of urgency, we are calling on governments to set out a plan, which will include detail on: 

• Assistance from the Government to secure hotel style accommodation to meet the increased need for self-contained accommodation so that people can self-isolate. 

• The removal of legal barriers in the homelessness legislation so that anyone who is at risk of, or is already homeless, can access self-contained accommodation. This should also include a suspension of rules that prevent people with no recourse to public funds from accessing housing and homelessness assistance. 

 • The provision of additional financial support through the Universal Credit system to ensure that people are not pushed into homelessness. 

• Protecting renters from evictions by temporarily suspending the use of Section 21 and Section 8 evictions. 

• Increasing the fund for Discretionary Housing Payments to help renters facing homelessness. 

• Measures to ensure that people sleeping rough and living in hostels and shelter accommodation have rapid access to testing for the virus and healthcare assistance. 

• An assurance that frontline workers in homelessness organisations are recognised as an emergency service as part of the response to COVID-19. 

• A ringfenced proportion of the £5bn fund announced in the Budget last week to fight COVID-19 for local authorities to help deliver these measures. 

In light of the speed of recent developments, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you and your officials as a matter of urgency how we can help to deliver this plan.  

Yours sincerely, 

Jon Sparkes, Crisis 

Rick Henderson, Homeless Link 

Howard Sinclair, St Mungo’s 

Seyi Obakin, Centrepoint 

Mick Clarke, The Passage 

Steven Platts, Groundswell 

John Puzey, Shelter Cymru 

Margaret-Ann Brünjes, Homeless Network Scotland

 Pam Orchard, Connection at St Martin’s 

Bill Tidnam, Thames Reach 

cc. Rt. Hon. Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Rt Hon. Mark Drakeford AM, Rt Hon. Matt Hancock MP

Alex* has dual nationality, having been born in France but later grew up in Spain. Her parents are Hungarian and Polish respectively. She is 56 years old and has spent the last 35 years living in the UK with a valid permanent residence card, which she got in 2015. These cards are being phased out and will no longer be accepted after 31 December 2020, so she needed to apply for the government’s EU Settlement Scheme.

She lives alone and is a client of Thames Reach’s Tenancy Sustainment Team and regularly uses the services at Brent Reach. She has previously experienced homelessness and slept rough for a short time. In April 2019 Alex had a stroke, which means she currently cannot move or walk easily. Tremors in her arms make it difficult for her to sign or write documents, so it was crucial that the EU Settlement Scheme team at Thames Reach were able to assist with the process of applying to the scheme.

Alex lacks digital skills and does not own electronic devices, other than an old smartphone which she does not like, struggles to use and does not understand. She speaks English but her first language is Spanish, so there are some language barriers in completing the process. With multiple physical and mental health support needs, it was important that she received sufficient support throughout the process. During the initial meeting with the team, she suffered a panic attack, caused in part by the fact that she feels anxious, depressed and unwelcome by Brexit and topics explored in the EU Settlement Scheme.

After the initial struggle with the system, Alex has now successfully applied to the EU Settlement Scheme with the help of Thames Reach. Although she still admits to disliking the scheme, she has a much better understanding of it now and feels great relief that she has been able to complete the process. Her settled status has just been confirmed, and she is now looking to the future.

Our client’s name has been changed for confidentiality

Anthony Donnelly is Lead Worker at Camberwell New Road, a satellite service for the Waterloo Project, a supported housing scheme to accommodate five homeless or vulnerable women at a time in Lambeth in a shared house. Staff work with the residents to help them engage with services and maintain positive lifestyle changes especially in relation to substance issues, such as drug and alcohol misuse. We spoke to him about his women’s-only service.

What do you find are the recurring reasons for women’s homelessness?

I’m not sure the reasons differ from men’s experience of homelessness that much, overall. I’d say that early trauma, family breakdown, lack of education (and therefore limited routes into employment), leaving care, addiction issues, a lack of affordable and decent accommodation, and poor mental wellbeing, all contribute to women becoming homeless.

However, specific issues which women face, that may lead to them becoming homeless, include fleeing domestic abuse or trafficking gangs.

What support does Camberwell New Road [CNR] provide and what partnerships do you have with external services?

We’re mostly staffed Monday to Friday, one of the days over the weekend, and have a concierge who is here Thursday to Sunday. I support all the CNR residents and liaise with local services such as Ace of Clubs, Lorraine Hewitt House, Single Point Access, Gaia, Fulfilling lives, SHP [Single Homeless Project], Clearing House, SLAM [South London and Maudsley NHS Trust], Lambeth IPTT [Integrated Psychological Therapy Team], and Kings College Hospital.  In terms of practical support, I arrange wake up calls, accompany residents to key appointments, signpost to local services and ensure telephone support from the Waterloo Project is provided to residents who need extra support when I’m not on site.

How long can residents stay at CNR, and where do they move on to?

Ideally, residents will spend no more than 18 months at CNR. The Private Rented Sector [PRS] is the main option open to CNR residents, as most of them do not have CHAIN numbers, thus meaning that they can’t access Clearing House properties.

What’s the most rewarding part of working with residents at CNR?

Since working here, I’ve supported women to move to independent accommodation and have worked with other women to get them ready for move on, who have now been accepted onto a PRS scheme. Alongside this, residents have engaged well with ETE [Education, Training, Employment] at the Employment Academy, and completed TRaVEL and MIMO courses. In terms of engaging with external agencies, one of the women at CNR was supported to engage with one-to-one therapy, and completed a 13-week course at the Lambeth Integrated Psychological Therapy Team [IPTT] service, and also volunteered at a local charity shop.  Another resident has worked hard to become sober, and engaged with two trial programmes run from Lorraine Hewitt House [drug and alcohol rehabilitation services], one an opiate blocking injection trial, and the other a crack cessation trial.

Read more about Waterloo Project and Camberwell New Road through the link below.

We spoke to Miracle Godfrey, Senior Practitioner, who is one of the members of staff currently on the Thames Reach Pathways into Management programme, which is providing a group of staff with the skills and confidence to develop their career further in the organisation. 2020 is the programme’s first year, so we caught up with Miracle to see what she wants to achieve from the initiative, and how it’s going so far.

 I’ve been with Thames Reach for eight years; up until November last year I was doing night shifts at the Waterloo Project. I enjoyed it and was very comfortable doing this but sometimes when you get used to the role you’re in, you start to feel like you need a challenge. After a while I realised that people praising me for being good at my job meant that I should be aiming for a more senior role.

So while I was working at Waterloo I applied for a secondment as a Senior Practitioner elsewhere at Thames Reach, and was given the job at Newham Stepping Stone, a new, temporary project. The “manager’s role” really felt like a step up and helped me believe in myself and build my confidence as well as helping me move forward in my career.

When the opportunity of the Pathways into Management programme came up, I thought about it and said “I don’t think I can make it, I don’t think I’ll be chosen”. It was in the back of my mind until two days before the deadline, but then I sent an email to HR to see if I could still apply, and still wasn’t expecting much. Then a couple of weeks later I found out I’d been accepted; I was really pleased and shocked.

The Pathways into Management programme is going really well so far. After I found out I’d been accepted, colleagues are saying I’m lucky to be on the course but it’s not luck, you have to push yourself and find opportunities to aim high. Aside from learning new things, it’s a real opportunity to voice your feelings; it’s not a formal setting, you can hear others express themselves while contributing your own experiences. It’s a confidential and safe space. Everyone has ideas that pop up all the time.

The first day of the programme I was impressed, it really feels like you’re not alone. I was impressed by what Bill [Tidnam, Chief Executive] had to say and his own growth, how he was comfortable in his role for a long time but applied for more senior roles at Thames Reach and kept himself motivated. I don’t want to look back now; even though it’s good to reflect, I want to aim higher, and the programme is really helping me with that, I feel very empowered.

I would like to improve on my communication and listening skills; I know that the way I communicate needs adjustment. If my service isn’t made permanent, I’m aiming for a managerial role elsewhere in Thames Reach. I am going to do it, I’m really motivated now!

I would like to say that I really appreciate the programme and would like to thank those who put it together and their hard work. It’s going beyond improving staff for Thames Reach, it improves your own development and your own skills. I’ve already noticed improvements in my interactions with colleagues and external agencies.

I want to inspire people not to just sit and wait for opportunities to come to them, but to go out there and find the opportunities to develop – believe in yourself!

Now that the United Kingdom has formally left the European Union, European nationals living in this country are seeing changes to their residency rights. Last year, a new EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was launched, aimed at allowing European citizens and their eligible family members to continue living in the UK during, and after, the Brexit process. The EUSS is open to EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens who take up residence in the UK prior to the deadline of 31 December 2020.

In addition to this scheme, the Home Office has also funded a project aimed at helping homeless and vulnerable European citizens with their applications. Thames Reach is one of 58 organisations working to deliver this.

According to the latest figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), a Greater London Authority-commissioned database that records information about rough sleeping in London, 39% of the people seen sleeping rough in the capital between October and December 2019 were EU nationals. European citizens can’t access the same services as UK nationals, including vital support that prevents people from ending up on the streets, such as emergency accommodation. This issue is often made even worse by many vulnerable and at-risk people having an uncertain residency status. As a result, the number of people from the EU sleeping rough in London has reached appalling levels, and this lack of access to support also makes it harder for Thames Reach to help them escape a dire situation.

Thames Reach’s EU Settlement Scheme began in September 2019, and is accredited by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. In my role as Lead Worker, I help coordinate and deliver the project, working with people who have come into contact with Thames Reach and other similar organisations. By helping clients to secure their residency status through the EUSS, we can also better help them access the support they need. This, in turn, can help prevent them from becoming homeless or returning to the streets.

Before I joined Thames Reach, I studied Human Rights and Peace Management at the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana in Mexico City, and have also studied Middle Eastern conflict and leadership skills. I have on-the-job training on various aspect of refugee law and have worked extensively with refugees on behalf of the Mexican Refugee Office. After moving to London, I worked and volunteered as a fundraiser at War Child and at the Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation, which eventually led me to this role.

We run our EU Settlement Scheme project right across London, operating from various Thames Reach sites and running drop-in centres in the boroughs of Brent, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham and Southwark, as well as making home visits so that clients get the help they need with their application and other support needs.

For many vulnerable people, the EUSS application process can be difficult to access. Issues can include: a lack of digital skills; language barriers; a lack access to the internet or electronic devices; a lack of documentation in order to prove residence; or simply just a lack of awareness about the scheme’s existence. Then there are other difficulties our clients face, such as mental or physical health problems, which can be major factors in becoming homeless and tend to be made worse by time spent sleeping on the streets.

In most cases, we have regular face-to-face appointments with each client, working through their particular needs. We aim to make sure that they’re comfortable, and that they understand the service and the situation they’re facing. We then take them through each stage of the EUSS application, helping them gather the right information, and also covering what will happen, and what might need to be done, when the outcome arrives.

People tend to engage and react more positively to a personalised service; they feel heard, understood, and included. We aim to make sure that clients feel their personal circumstances are being attended to. We always encourage people to express their doubts, direct them to other necessary support, and we never give up on anyone.

As an immigrant myself, I can empathise and relate to the feelings people have when completing an immigration application. Even though the EUSS has reported a very low number of refusals, applicants can still feel a great deal of anxiety when applying, particularly people who are vulnerable or in hard-to-reach groups.

At present, the Home Office is only funding this project until 31 March 2020, leaving us with only a small window of opportunity within which to support as many applications as possible. So far, over 220 people have accessed our project, and over 110 homeless or vulnerable European citizens have been made aware of the scheme. Over 80 of them have received one-to-one advice and support to apply to the EUSS, with 53 having successfully applied so far.

We are very happy and proud of our work to date on this project, particularly the outcomes we’ve achieved, and when seeing the sense of relief on people’s faces when their applications are approved and they know that their residency is secure. This kind of reassurance can go a long way in preventing vulnerable people from becoming homeless.

Thames Reach is very concerned about the large numbers of European nationals sleeping rough and the limited options available to them. We will keep looking at ways of preventing homelessness from happening, and supporting those people who do find themselves on the streets.

Fernando Suárez Veronelli

The Thames Reach traineeship programme provides career pathways into the homeless sector. It offers participants the opportunity to gain the skills and experience needed to work for Thames Reach and within the broader sector. The traineeship programme actively encourages those with a previous history of homelessness to apply, as well as people with little or no experience of the homeless sector. Passion, commitment and empathy towards homeless people along with good administration skills are required to succeed. The programme has seen students and tutors alike incredibly pleased with the experience and future prospects.

Ross Lambert is one of the graduates, who got a job as an assistant support worker at Croydon Reach after undertaking his first placement, and has since worked with three different Thames Reach outreach teams. We spoke to him when he graduated in April 2019.

What’s your background and what attracted you to the programme?
I actually had a very different career before starting the traineeship; I was a glass designer for ten years, and although I really enjoyed it, I wanted to do something that helped people. After a short career break, I thought about how I might be able to do this and did some research. Spending some time travelling confirmed that I wanted to do a job that made a difference in the community. I knew little about what support workers did but knew that it was a step in the right direction for me.

What did you do during your time on the traineeship?
The work we did while training was really close to what we’d be doing as assistant support workers once we finish, so it was good to learn first-hand from the start. I shadowed the Croydon Reach outreach team and followed their work with other agencies.

What did you enjoy the most?
The fact that I can see tangible results from my day-to-day work, and that’s something I’ll continue to enjoy as I settle in my new role and progress throughout my career.

Who have you worked with so far?
I had no experience working with vulnerable people before now but working with service users has been a real highlight, it truly feels like a two-way street, we’re inspiring each other and working collaboratively.

What are your plans for the future?
I got the job at Croydon Reach the same day as my second placement was due to start, so I’m still very new and enjoying learning everything I can about the role. I’m happy to have the experience and use the skills I learned in the traineeship for real-life situations.

Marvin is a service user at Deptford Reach. He sits down in Deptford Reach’s art room with a wide smile on his face; he is preparing to start his first full-time job in years after struggling to get past interview stages. While he is optimistic now, things started to change for Marvin in 2012, after his work situation changed. He had worked in facilities, audiovisuals and staging for film, music, theatre and television. He talks about the precarious nature of the work, it was always feast or famine, and these were the days before zero hour contracts. He looks back at these years fondly, having toured with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Depeche Mode, and worked for huge directors including Ridley Scott.

But the work wasn’t consistent and in 2012 he was signing on at the job centre; because he didn’t have a fixed address and his post was being delivered to his brother’s house, he wasn’t aware that he was being sanctioned by the job centre. It was over Christmas that year that he found he had no money, and he would walk miles between his support networks and the job centre to sort his benefits as he couldn’t afford public transport. He was staying in a hostel nearby in south London when someone told him about Deptford Reach; he describes the project as a bit of a life-saver for people with mixed needs, and was grateful for the food and social opportunities. He has been a regular visitor at the day centre since.

Marvin has a strong work ethic and loves keeping busy, which was why struggling to work was so frustrating for him. He took up volunteering at Deptford Reach, mostly working in the kitchen with basic cooking and cleaning tasks, and was offered a place on a Food Hygiene course as an added extra for his CV. He is currently living nearby in accommodation, which was found for him by a support worker at Deptford Reach. Marvin is taking the future one step at a time, beginning with looking forward to starting his new job as a Facilities Engineer in the theatre industry.

Ricky looks around the room, taking it all in. Slowly, he spreads his arms: “I’ve got my own house, my own kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, the living room you’re sitting in now.”

He stands up, and walks into the next room where a tent lies folded in the corner. “I slept in this tent every night when I was on the streets. Now, look around, I’ve got a place of my own.”

Losing his brother and sleeping rough

Ricky spent two months sleeping rough after his brother died from an overdose, a traumatic experience that also left him with nowhere to live.

“I found him dead. I was devastated. I was in a terrible place,” he says.

“I was moving around when I was sleeping rough to keep myself safe. You get beaten up. I’m very vulnerable as a person.”

He had been staying in Croydon and approached the council but, as he had no connection to the local area, he was unable to get any help.

Thames Reach outreach workers found Ricky bedded down and were able to help him into temporary accommodation. He was also put in touch with health services to get treatment for his alcohol use.

Housing First

At this stage, Ricky expected a long stay in temporary housing, but he was referred to our new Croydon Housing First team, which helps people experiencing homelessness into a flat of their own immediately.

This service helps people to quickly become independent again, rather than spending long periods in hostels or temporary accommodation. The team also helps with access to healthcare, benefits and training opportunities.

The Housing First team worked with the council, advocated for Ricky, and were able to secure him a flat.

“I was told that I had a viewing, a chance to get my own place,” Ricky says. “I was shocked it had come so quickly. I assumed it would be a private rented flat so I couldn’t believe it was through the council. I wanted it so much that I came to just look at it from the street in the days before the viewing.”

Enjoying his new home

Ricky returns to his seat by the window where the afternoon sun pours in. He’s now been in his flat for six months, and is continuing to access support to help him during his recovery.

“Coming off the streets has involved a bit of re-adaptation,” he says. “I’m paying the rent and making use of the help I’ve been offered. When you go from the streets to having to do things like paying bills again it can be difficult. If I want help I will ring up and ask. I know I will always get it.”

Ricky is now thinking about the future, and wants to start training courses to rebuild his confidence and eventually find work. “I used to be an English teacher, and I know French. Maybe I could do something with that,” he says.

He looks around his flat again. “I love this place and I’m so grateful for it. I’ve got a nice view out of the window. I’ve got a nice parquet floor. They wanted to rip that up but I said hell no.”

You can help people like Ricky to find a new home by donating to Thames Reach today.

Jamie Shovlin, Support Worker, Rapid Response 

“I normally start around 6pm with shift planning, which I do from home. This involves looking at new referrals that we’ve received through Streetlink for the areas of the city I’ll be covering that night. I’ll also check the previous night’s shift to see if there are any follow-up actions from that need to be factored into the shift. I’ll put the referrals into a plan on Google Maps and move them about to find a route that gets to as many people as possible on shift. Around 7:30/8pm, I’ll pick up my volunteer and head out, using a Zipcar located close to home.

The most satisfying thing is ending people’s homelessness there and then on the night, on the street. In truth it may be ultimately very short-term as the challenges of keeping people from returning to the streets are many, but the immediate relief and people’s reactions to it are very satisfying. I also enjoy working with skilled, diligent and sensitive colleagues and volunteers, who give their time and energy to ending street homelessness. 

Perhaps the biggest challenge is engaging people who’ve been out on the streets for a long time. They may be sceptical about what you can offer, may have had bad experiences in the past with services, may be struggling with substance abuse and health issues. It’s difficult to build a bigger picture of the type of care and approach that might benefit the individual if they won’t engage with you on any level. But we try and work out the best way to offer that person support.

The work is fundamentally very independent in practice but only works in substance as part of a larger team. We put out a number of shifts each night across London and are in constant communication with each other whilst on shift. If one of us is in a difficult situation, there are a number of colleagues who can help. We often work directly with each other and talk over situations and exchanges that were challenging. Each worker has a different approach and will have different advice and support regarding each situation.

It starts with the planning, the layout and idea of the shift. After a while you get to know areas and are able to guess where and when people are most likely to be found. Then there’s searching for people and if finding them, working out the best form of support. Ideally we can take them to an emergency shelter but sometimes this isn’t possible, so we have to offer alternative support and reassurances that we are trying to help them away from the streets. I think trust is one of the biggest aspects of this work – the person you’re speaking with has to believe you have their best interests at heart. You have to clear and honest with people even if means delivering news they don’t want to hear. Then there’s the reporting of each shift and encounter which should be clear and concise, so that colleagues can see what work you have carried out and know what the next step of action is.

The scale and dedication of the outreach services makes Thames Reach unique. We’re covering such a large area with such a dedicated workforce. Colleagues are from a broad range of backgrounds, and that influences their connection to the work and how they do it. This contributes to the service’s dynamic and robustness and makes the challenging tasks at hand that much more achievable.”

Thames Reach are expanding and have roles available across London at a range of levels. Experience is not necessarily required as full training and support is provided. There are opportunities to work flexibly or part-time around other commitments, which allows a range of people with different experiences to work together to end street homelessness.

During the week 9-13 September, Thames Reach organised its first Staff Wellbeing Week. Kick-started by a group of members of staff across different services, a survey went out to all staff about which activities they would like to see to improve their wellbeing.

Coordinated across our London sites, final activities were: yoga, meditation, aromatherapy oil workshop, Indian head massage, neck massage, zumba, tai-chi, Special Effects decorating, dog therapy, kinetic therapy and a treasure hunt.

Georgi took part in the Special Effects workshop, in which participants learned new skills in decorative painting with our in-house expert and tutor of MIMO, Rob. Georgi said:

“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the class, but I’m always interested in what the MIMO teams are doing, and I was keen to try it out for myself. I really enjoyed working with the paint, experimenting with different tools and creating a piece of work that makes me look far better at painting than I actually am (thanks to lots of help from Rob!) We learnt to use a stippler and create a wood grain effect using a rolling tool. My favourite technique was rag-rolling which involves applying a thick layer of paint and then using a piece of cloth to remove some of the paint, creating a marbled effect. Rob explained that this is a great technique to use for feature walls, and I’ve just moved house so I’m sure it will come in handy.

“The painting itself was really relaxing, as I was able to concentrate on working with my hands and take a break from thinking about emails, to-do lists and everything else. It was really satisfying to feel like I’d created a piece of art that I can take home with me, and doing something creative always makes me feel really positive. We were able to chat and enjoy a cup of tea while learning something new, and I think we all left the session feeling calm and happy, and with a few new painting skills!”

Sarah took part in Meditation with external company Inner Space. She had never done meditation before but had read about its benefits:

“Before coming to the class I was expecting to get an idea of the basics of mediation; I’d never done it before so I was very interested to experience it.  I enjoyed learning how to meditate and what it takes. The trainer from Inner Space was amazing in the way she taught the best way to access meditation. I learned how to meditate and why it is good for people; it was also important to understand why some people struggle with it. I felt very relaxed afterwards to the point that my muscles had relaxed in my head and neck; I could feel my mind was not running away with me like it usually does and I think it is very important to switch off. Since the session, I have downloaded apps on how to mediate and have been using them every other day.”

Romoke went to the aromatherapy oil workshop held at the Employment Academy:

“The Aromatherapy class was fantastic – it has enhanced my knowledge of what different oils can do, as well as the benefits of various aromas. The class was interactive and it was nice to mix our own preferred aromas into the bath salt. My mix is lovely to unwind with after a tiring jog.

“Since the session I’ve bought a few aromas and have been dropping some Lavender on my pillow, it’s definitely making my home smell nicer and calms everyone down.”

Dominika took time out of her working day to meet the dogs brought to the office by Cuddle Club:

“The visit from Cuddle Club was definitely a highlight of the day for my colleagues and me. We work with homeless clients, who often have multiple and complex needs, and while this line of work is extremely rewarding, it can be very stressful – we all want what is best for our clients and frequently go out of our way in helping them achieve some sort of stability.

The three dogs I met were adorable and really friendly, letting me relax completely and simply enjoy their company – there were kisses and hugs and plenty of exposed bellies to scratch, like a fluffy heaven!

I would honestly love to have them visit on a regular basis – my colleagues were leaving the room smiling and happy, and so did I.”

The week ended with a Lunch Social on Friday 13^th where everyone took a break to socialise together and chat about different activities from the week. Feedback has been incredibly positive, and teams are discussing how to keep the momentum going throughout the year.