News

Xenia, student hostel, opening

Kate Hoey, MP, officially opened Chapter 1's student hostel, Xenia, on the 24th January 2013. Chapter 1 has spent £9 million on upgrading the building, which now contains a 152 bed student accommodation in the centre of Waterloo. Chief Executive, Geoff Hawkins said in his speach: "This is a proud day for Chapter 1...

Chapter 1 receives Lottery Fund

Chapter 1 receives£299,000 to continueproviding work and volunteering placements at2nd Chance Furniture Re-use, a furniture recycling social enterprise inNuneaton. The programme includes support from a mentor and participants have access to a regular work club that provides support to individuals seeking employment. The project aims to increase the self-esteem and aspirations of those involved as well as providing affordable furniture to people in financial hardship living in the boroughs of North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth...

Shoes... Shoes... Shoes...Chapter 1 celebrates Diversity & Equality 2012

Chapter 1 Trustees are celebrating Diversity & Equality with shoe stories. Each pair of shoes is unique but equal and diverse much the same as people are

Chapter 1 takes over Somerset's Domestic Abuse Service

      Somerset Integrated Domestic Abuse Service                From 1 July 2012 national charity, Chapter 1, took responsibility for an Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS)  in Somerset...

Volunteer programme celebration at 2nd Chance Furniture Re-use

Chapter 1's Nuneaton based 2nd Chance Furniture Re-use project celebrated their volunteers. A volunteer programme of great success. 130 people have volunteered since the programme started, not only do the volunteers help saving good quality second hand goods from ending up in landfills but they are gaining confidence, skills and work experience. The celebration was attended by the Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth, Concillor Neil Phillips and Chapter 1 Chief Executive Geoff Hawkins, both of them gave a speach, as did one of the volunteers, Sharon Tasker...

Chapter 1 is helping to occupy empty homes

Chapter 1 is running empty homes schemes in Cornwall, Gloucester and Torbay, we are also the delivery partner for the scheme run by Exeter City Council. Privately owned properties which have been empty for more than 2 years are being utilised to create affordable rented accommodation as part of a national initiative. Governmet grants are made available through the HCA (Homes & Communities Agency) to cover the costs of renovating the properties. The schemes run by Chapter 1 in Cornwall, Gloucester and Torbay was awarded £1...

The Limes at Chapter 1 receives gift from angels

The residents at The Limes felt angels still exist... Read the article

Seal of Approval for 2nd Chance

In December 2011 the Furniture Re-Use Network (FRN) awarded Second Chance Furniture the highest accolade in the sector,  that of Approved Re-Use Centre (ARC) status.  The FRN visited the project and undertook an audit which took several days and specifically looked at the organisation’s documentation and records, management, resources, performance of work and provision of service...

...and the games continue

have a look at the Equality FC match

Equality Award for Limes resident

Samuel Welde Dewit from the Limes won the Equality Award from Manchester FA, congratulations Samuel. Read the story on the Manchester FA website

The Limes takes the lead in football

The Limes is in the first position after winning all their games. 

The Limes kick off Manchester Homeless League

Chapter 1's own Dean Ashton has done an incredible job starting the Manchester Homeless League football club. Dean has also worked hard at introducing a healthy lifestyle at The Limes. He says: "A healthy lifestyle isn’t just eating right, physical health and a healthy mind make up a healthy lifestyle...

Chapter 1’s Torquay Hostel wins national award

National housing charity Chapter 1 has once again recognised the outstanding achievements of its staff, service users and volunteers. At an award ceremony in London the staff team from the Leonard Stocks Centre in Torquay were highly commended for their customer service.  Chapter 1’s Operations Director, Rachel Sanders said: 'The staff team have only been together since April when there was an internal restructure, a change of manager, and a number of new appointments...

Chapter 1 in partnership with Shekinah

      Torbay Rooute Project Chapter 1 in partnership with Shekinah           Media Release from Chapter 1 21 November 2011   PRELIMINARY WORK STARTS ON NEW COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE CENTRE   After months of preparatory work behind the scenes, Chapter 1, in partnership with Shekinah and Torbay Council, are pleased to confirm that preliminary work is finally underway for the Torbay Rooute project...

2nd Chance does it again...

2nd Chance Furniture Re-use has added craft items to their popular re-use scheme. Dickens night in Atherstone found volunteers from Chapter 1’s 2nd Chance Furniture Re-use project in Nuneaton selling the perfect Christmas presents such as flower arrangements, picture frames, bags, cushions. All the items were handmade using only re-used materials. A prize draw for a quilt and matching cushions was a popular addition. Peter Whitehead, project manager, said: ‘This was a great opportunity to showcase the variety of work that takes place at 2nd Chance and also the creativity of some of our volunteers...

Chapter 1 recognises its ‘Great 1s’

Chapter 1 recognises its ‘Great 1s’ at award ceremony in London   National housing charity Chapter 1 has once again recognised the outstanding achievements of its staff, service users and volunteers. At an award ceremony in London last week, awards were given for:  Customer service Personal achievements of individual service users Unsung heroes Engagement with the wider community This is the third year the charity has run its award programme...

Homeless risk rising

Geoff Hawkins, chief executive of the housing charity Chapter 1, said the problem was no longer confined to the stereotype of rough sleepers rehabilitating from lifelong addictions, but now includes victims of recession who do not qualify for appropriate help. Click here to read the full article

So much untapped talent.... photography workshop

Residents from Homerton Space and Stephen House partook in a photography workshop held by PhotoVoice. The theme for the course was Gang Culture and Knife Crime, an exploration in captioned photography. Read the full article and view the captioned photographs here

Chapter 1 celebrates Diversity & Equality

Mildmay House in Liverpool held a World Music Day event on the 21st September where residents, ex-residents and volunteers all took part in a show performing a variety of styles of music from pieces they have been working on in Mildmay's music studio...

The Limes Academy goes live . . .

Chapter 1 The Limes Academy goes live . . . Chapter 1’s Manchester hostel for young homeless men, The Limes, is providing support in a holistic way. They’ve created workshops to develop the residents’ life skills and provide a platform for further progression in education, employment and independent living. They’ve devised a structured plan for the week, with the help from their residents. It has been developed firstly to improve motivation, progressively improve confidence, and to implement key skills along the way...

Chapter 1 Southampton rides for homeless people

Chapter 1 in Southampton rides out to raise funds for  young homeless people in the city   On Sunday 24 July three intrepid cyclists from Chapter 1 in Southampton set off an a “bike ride to somewhere”. They ended up covering almost 160 miles in 24 hours and made it all the way to Cambridge. Until last week they had no idea where they were going. They knew they were leaving from Kingsley House, the hub of Chapter 1’s service for homeless young people in the city, but the direction was chosen at random by one of the residents...

Homerton Space celebrating 25 years

Chapter 1’s Homerton Space project celebrated its 25th anniversary. The project accommodates and supports 11 young homeless people aged 16 to 18. They welcomed their first resident in 1986. Since then around 250 have benefited.  The project was conceived in the early 1980s. The Hackney Marsh Team Ministry was concerned by the number of young people who were either homeless or at risk of homelessness in Homerton. The rectory in Chelmer Road was vacant, and it was agreed that Newlon Housing would buy the building, but the project would be managed by volunteers...

Homeless Article in the Independent

Read the article on Homelessness

Farewell but not goodbye

  Alex at his final meeting with Geoff Hawkins, Chief Executive and Rob Taylor, Chairman Outgoing Board Rep Alex Roach has stuck to his word and will be staying involved with Chapter 1 despite now moving into his own flat and finishing his year on the Board...

Stuart and Angela came on Board

Stuart and Angela come on Board   New Board Reps Stuart and Angela at the away days in July. Chapter 1 residents Stuart and Angela have attended their first meetings as the new Service User Board Representatives on the Chapter 1 Board of Trustees...

Homeless World Cup 2011

Chapter 1's project The Limes in  Manchester has done it again, it is the second time one of their residents has got through to the final selection for the Homeless World Cup, and this time the resident, Courtney Wallace, was chosen for Team England and he is going to Paris to part-take in the game. 64 national teams will be competing at the Homeless World Cup. ‘We, at the Limes, are very proud of Courtney and we will be cheering and supporting him all the way...

2nd Chance takes first price

Chapter 1's Furniture Re-use project, 2nd Chance, won 1st price at Nuneaton's Carnival parade. The carnival has been held every year since 1930 and has raised thousands of pounds for local charities. In spite of the rain both audience and part-takers seemed to enjoy themselves. The best overall walker price went to the  'Goodies' inspired bicycle.

The photos’ on the wall at Leonard Stocks Centre

 Leonard Stocks Centre is managed by Chapter 1 in partnership with Shekinah Mission.  More than a 100 people have been helped to turn their lives around since the new homeless hostel opened 18 months ago.  The Friends of Factory Row was founded to support the old hostel, which now has new modern facilities, and they now help by volunteering and raising money. It was their idea to invite local photographers to submit pictures to decorate the walls...

2nd Chance volunteer opening own business

2nd Chance Furniture Re-Use in Nuneaton is encouraging its volunteers to use their creative skills to promote the re-use message and develop their own small business. James Bayley, a volunteer at  the showroom in Weddington Terrace has started his own small business ‘Bayley Wreaths and Arrangements’ whilst volunteering at Second Chance.  During his time at the project James has developed his skills and experience by working on the shop floor and also as a driver’s mate...

Wall art at Leonard Stocks Centre

Leonard Stocks Centre is managed by Chapter 1 in partnership with Shekinah Mission. More than a 100 people have been helped to turn their lives around since the new homeless hostel opened 18 months ago. The Friends of Factory Row was founded to support the old hostel, which now has new modern facilities, and they now help by volunteering and raising money...

Chapter 1 give residents a stronger voice

Chapter 1 gives residents a stronger voice This year at Chapter 1 we have added resident inspections in our effort to give the residents a stronger voice about our work. We had the chance to trial the method through being a trailblazer in the Tenant Services Authority's local standards pilots.

Chapter 1 dinner raises £2500

On Saturday 2 April Chapter 1 rolled out the red carpet to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Little House family contact centre in Exeter. The event brought together the cream of the legal profession at Exeter Golf and Country Club to enjoy a cocktail reception, three course dinner, and dancing to the music of Funk54. The Little House has been providing an impartial, supportive and safe environment for children from separated families to have contact with their parents and siblings since 2001...

Walthamstow man takes part in prestigious reception on homelessness

On 22 March, Leon Sobers, a former resident of Chapter 1’s Walthamstow hostel, Stephen House, attended a Parliamentary reception and spoke about his experiences as a homeless young person in this area.

The event was organised by Homeless Link, which represents homeless charities working in England. They have over recent years made huge progress in supporting vulnerable homeless people to gain skills and get back into employment and housing. The success in moving people out of homelessness and into independence improves not only the well being of the person concerned but also helps the communities that in the past were blighted by the symptoms of homelessness....

Chapter 1 and TABS travelled to Kenya

  This year Chapter 1 sent nine volunteers to Kenya for 17 days where they will be working at the TABS project site in a slum area in the town of Thika.  TABS International is a UK-based Christian charity which promotes the spiritual , mental, moral and physical development of young people by providing opportunities for them to volunteer to work in Christian projects overseas. The Kenya project is organised by TABS and supported by Chapter 1.  There is already a church and a basic school on the site in Thika, but eventually TABS plan to upgrade the school and add more classrooms, and build a community centre and workshop for training...

Forty Pound Theatre handing over a cheque to Chapter 1 Kingsley House

On Thursday 3 February Forty Pound Theatre handed over a cheque for £1737.66 to Chapter 1 Kingsley House to support their work with homeless young people.  The money came from the pantomime, the Belle’s Stratagem, which was performed at the Bent Brief pub in Southampton at Christmas.  Olly Simpson, scheme manager for Chapter 1’s young people’s service in Southampton said: ‘Donations like this make an immense difference to us. They allow us to offer more opportunities and activities for our young residents, and seeing groups like Forty Pound supporting us, helps them feel part of the wider community...

Chapter 1 rewards its 'Great 1s'

National housing charity Chapter 1 has once again recognised the outstanding achievements of its staff, service users and volunteers.

MP receives warm welcome at Homerton Space Project

Local MP for the London Borough of Hackney, Rt Hon Meg Hillier, visited Chapter 1's supported housing project Homerton Space at Chelmer Road on Friday 10th December 2010. During her visit Meg met with Project Director Lilieth Martin, as well as other support workers and service users.

Chapter 1's own World Cup

Chapter 1's football extravaganza kicked off on Friday 6 August at Warwick University, with team players and supporters arriving from 15 different Chapter 1 projects throughout the country.

Chapter 1 Gets Stuck in For Places of Change

Four Chapter 1 projects were involved in the creation of the biggest ever show garden, Places of Change, at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. Service users from Calverley Hill in Tunbridge Wells, FreshStart; St Austell and The Limes; Manchester, were amongst 500 homeless volunteers who contributed to the silver ...

Prestigious Environmental Business Award won by Second Chance

On Tuesday 11th May 2010 Chapter 1 staff and volunteers from Second Chance Furniture Re-Use, attended the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards Presentation at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and in an Oscars style evening they scooped the Environmental Business Award sponsored & presented by Land Rover.