Lifeskills Centre

For those who are homeless/ disadvantaged/ excluded… rising numbers of "centre users" are in their teens and early 20's or ex-servicemen and non-english speaking immigrants. We can help them into a fuller life rather than leaving them to become ingrained into life on the streets.

Experience has shown us that there are some homeless people who live a recurring pattern of street sleeping, hostel living and then into a flat, only to start the circle again six months later. Many of these individuals simply do not have the skill set to sustain a tenancy. We hope to break this recurring pattern by introducing the basic life skills required to keep people in a tenancy.

The Lifeskills Centre exists to empower, inform and enable homeless and other vulnerable people. The Centre delivers learning in an accessible and safe environment, in order to provide people with the resources to make real choices about their lives. The Centre is led by the needs of learners, and aims to respond to the aspirations and desires of the Centre users. The Centre does this by providing learning in the broadest sense, promoting supportive relationships, emotional literacy, basic skills and lifeskills.

'Life skills' are something most people take for granted. They are the skills we use every day - paying a bill, catching the bus, having a chat, doing the washing and cooking a meal. All of us have some skills that we are very good at, and some which we find more challenging. However, most people have enough skills to manage day-to-day living.

Sometimes - for many different reasons - people do not pick up these skills, or lose them. This could be because of physical or mental ill-health, addictions, or because they lose confidence in themselves and their abilities. Lifeskills are not just about knowing how to turn on the cooker or fill in a form - they are about having enough self respect to look after yourself and respect others around you.