 |
 |
12th December 2004 - Number of rough sleepers on the
increase
|
Christmas 2006
| Volunteers from both business and churches gave up their time to
make a difference. |
For 14 days over Christmas, our staff got a much-deserved break,
as we hand over the work of the Mission to volunteer groups. Of course, these
groups need to be supervised and two members of staff work with the volunteer
groups each day to continue our service to the homeless.
The daycentre
still needs to be open at 6am each morning, and the volunteer groups from both
business's in the city and from churches around the country, make sure that our
guests receive a warm welcome each day.
A full cooked breakfast needs to
be prepared for serving at 8am and guests still want towels and shaving
gear. |
 |
 |
We had more guests this year than we would normally expect, with
us cooking 250 breakfasts some mornings and regularly serving more than 150
people each day.
I am constantly being asked if I had a good Christmas,
and it is good to be able to report that it was a very good Christmas, being
able to spend time with my family and also my friends.
A special thank
you needs to go to volunteers who travelled many miles to help with our
service:
| Raunds Methodist Church |
|
|
157.8 miles |
| Huntingdon Methodist Church |
|
|
145.6 miles |
| Benfleet Methodist Church |
|
|
131.6 miles |
| Wingrave Methodist Church |
|
|
104.0 miles |
| Fleet Methodist Church |
|
|
90.4
miles |
| Harpenden Methodist Church |
|
|
70.6
miles |
| Linford Methodist Church |
|
|
47.6
miles |
| Hextable Methodist Church |
|
|
33.0
miles |
| Trinity Church - Enfield |
|
|
23.8
miles |
And to the 9 teachers from Central Foundation School who gave up
their Christmas morning to help |
12th December 2006 - Barclays volunteers light up the
Mission
| Volunteers from Barclays Bank gave up their time to brighten up
the Mission. |
| Eight volunteers from Barclays Bank, armed with bag loads of
presents, decorations, and a determination to introduce a Christmas cheer,
arrived at the Mission yesterday afternoon. They soon busied themselves and
over a few short hours, the dinning area had a make over and the whole Mission
seemed brighter. |
 |
 |
| With half the team hanging tinsel, glitter, baubles and lights,
and the other half busily wrapping presents, this team of volunteers managed to
transform the Mission in a very short time. |
2nd March 2006 - Mission remains open throughout the
night
| As the temperature drops below freezing point, the Mission opens
its doors throughout the night. With hot soup, sandwiches, plenty of tea and
coffee, sleeping bags and blankets, we are able to offer a warm sercure place
to sleep away from the freezing streets. Breakfast will still be served at
8am. |
4th January 2006 - The British 10K London Run
2006
click here for link to official
web site
Whitechapel looking for runners
During it's
brief five year history, the annual British 10k London Run has quickly grown to
become the third most significant mass participation road race in the UK. It is
staged on the world's greatest route, which no other road race over any
distance can match. The race route passes many of London's most famous historic
landmarks, and is run on some of the most famous street names in the
world!
The Whitechapel Mission will be entering a team of runners in
this event in the hope of raising much needed funds to continue its work
amongst London's homeless.
If you would like to be a part of this team,
please click here or
phone Sue on 020 7247 8280. |
21st February 2005 - Built upon
Rock
I read sadly this week that yet another valuable charitable
service for the homeless has been forced to close its doors and call it a day.
That is three such charities in the last month and more than half a dozen in
the past year.
With the same reason given in each case, that funding has
become an issue and it was no longer possible to sustain the work. Each closure
has increased the pressure on those of us remaining. More people needing to be
fed each day, more demand on advisors and daycentre staff. Each closure has
been without any real warning and giving very short notice.
Over the
past few months, I have been asked more and more if the Mission is likely to
close. These questions come not only from those that arrive each morning at our
door in hope looking for help, but also from our supporters asking if they are
backing a project that may not be here next week.
I just wish to assure
everybody involved in the Whitechapel Mission, that we are not going anywhere.
Our foundations are built on Rock! It was decided nearly 130 years ago that
while there remained a need, the Whitechapel Mission would be there to meet
that need.
We will be delighted to close our doors when there is no
longer a need, but until then we will remain and will continue to
serve. |
19th December 2004 - Christmas Opening
Hours
Whitechapel Mission will remain open throughout Christmas and
the New Year as usual.
Open as usual throughout the Christmas season
– 7 days a week including Christmas day and bank holidays. Full cooked
breakfast, clothes, sleeping bags, showers available, as well as advice,
education and some Christmas ‘extras’ in the way of food and
presents
For more information about other Daycentres in London and their
changes to service, click here
For
information about Night Shelters, click
here |
Whitechapel has always been about inclusion! We welcome anybody
that comes to our door, but are really here for those that sleep rough each
night. We are well aware that some of those that come to our door are living in
hostels, others may have a bedsit or flat in the local area, but continue to
require support and assistance.
We have witnessed a continued increase
in numbers of people coming to our door each morning throughout 2004, in all
three groups described above. Our numbers are close to double that of this time
last year and although official figures still show that there are no rough
sleepers in Tower Hamlets, we continue to welcome about 35 regular local rough
sleepers with another 40 or so travelling from other parts of the
city.
In the past two months we have witnessed an increase in rough
sleepers coming to our door each day, with what we believe to be a 6% increase
in numbers in just two months. These are not people giving up hostel places, or
losing a tenancy, or moving around the city. These people are new to the street
and having to learn very quickly about the realities of street
living. |
24th October 2004 - Bumper
Harvest
The Trustees wish to thank all those who have supported the
Mission this year with harvest gifts. We have have had a fantastic harvest,
which has allowed us to fill our stores more than in any previous year. We
promise that it will be distributed to those most at risk and most in need.
Your continued support allows us to be there, throughout the year.
We
understand that there are many deserving causes asking for your assistance and
we know that some of the churches and groups that were able to support us this
year will offer that support to another charity next year. Please accept our
thanks for the support you were able to offer. |
24th October 2004 - Bumper
Harvest
The Trustees wish to thank all those who have supported the
Mission this year with harvest gifts. We have have had a fantastic harvest,
which has allowed us to fill our stores more than in any previous year. We
promise that it will be distributed to those most at risk and most in need.
Your continued support allows us to be there, throughout the year.
We
understand that there are many deserving causes asking for your assistance and
we know that some of the churches and groups that were able to support us this
year will offer that support to another charity next year. Please accept our
thanks for the support you were able to offer. |
18th September 2004 - Life skills centre about to
open
| The Lifeskills Centre is now well underway, with a projected
opening date at the beginning of November. There is already considerable
interest amongst the people who use the daycentre, and a new Lifeskills
Coordinator has been employed to set up the project. Once up and running, the
centre will provide groups and classes for daycentre users, and new
opportunities for volunteers. Have a look at the new Lifeskills pages
here
The walls are
tiled from floor to ceiling to make them easy to clean
|
The floor takes
shape...
An old door is
blocked off
|
6th June 2004 - Whitechapel to increase opening
hours
With the displacement of those from the West End and the demise
of St. Botolph's we have seen our numbers increase considerably and now
regularly expect to serve up to 1000 meals a week. The demands on
our kitchens, clothing store, showers has never been higher and continues to
grow as each week passes.
From September 1st 2004, we intend to increase
our service provision to 7 days a week and then to pilot a scheme to open
additional hours each day. We hope to make up for the services lost
by the closure of other centres and we continue to develop partnerships to
assist us in reaching our objectives.
We are not prepared to delay or
jeopardise our education centre, which remains on course for later this year,
but feel that as a major service provider of the basic essentials of life, we
must be delivering before the next winter arrives. |
|
17th May 2004 - Whitechapel Mission - the last hope for
many
In
the past three months, we have seen many changes in the services available to
those sleeping rough in London and specifically the City and East
End. With Westminster Council clamping down on street beggars and
frightening away many of the genuine homeless with the use of the police, these
individuals have been displaced to other parts of London and many to the
borough of Tower Hamlets.
We have also seen the demise and bankruptcy of
The St Botolph's Project leaving the Whitechapel Mission as the only major
service provider left in the East End. Although there are other
valued and significant projects trying to make a difference, the few hours a
week that they are able to open and the basic diet of soup and sandwiches is
not enough to sustain the existence of those on the streets. And,
although our advice and counselling services remain as important to us as ever,
it is imperative that we get cooked food into people before words.
The
reality for our street sleepers is that the Mission is the only place to obtain
a cooked breakfast in the City or the East End. The only place open
weekends, bank holidays, Christmas, Easter.
With the displacement of
those from the West End and the demise of St. Botolph's we have seen our
numbers increase considerably and now regularly expect to serve up to 1000
meals a week. The demands on our kitchens, clothing store, showers
has never been higher and continues to grow as each week passes. |
 |
7th April 2004 - Sleeping rough gets
rougher
Time could be running out for small homelessness charities,
warns Matt Weaver
Wednesday April 7, 2004
The
Guardian
Homelessness charities exist to alleviate poverty and
hardship. But try telling that to the former staff of St Botolph's Project.
Twelve days ago, without notice, half of the charity's 60-strong workforce was
laid off on the spot without pay cheques. The final month's salaries could not
be paid because the project had gone bankrupt. It had debts of more than
£400,000. It was a shabby end to an organisation with a proud
tradition.
St Botolph's could boast of being one of the longest
established charities for homeless people in London's East End. It started as a
soup kitchen in the crypt of St Botolph's church, Aldgate, in 1958, and grew to
become an organisation with a turnover of £2.6m helping 3,000 people a
year.
The project provided vital services including support and
accommodation for vulnerable groups, a training project for homeless people,
and a drop-in centre. Fortunately - for now - these services, and the frontline
staff who provide them, have been taken on by larger housing agencies. But the
employees at the project's head office were not so lucky. With no wages to pay
the bills, some are now themselves worried about becoming homeless.
At
one level this is just a sorry tale of financial mismanagement. But for the
crowded homelessness charity sector it could be a sign of troubled times ahead.
There are an estimated 200 homelessness charities in London, with at least 600
nationwide. Which will survive and for how long?
Last week, in very
different circumstances, the award-winning homeless prevention charity Safe in
the City was also wound up after running out of funds. At least its staff knew
this was coming. And more homelessness agencies are likely to go under in the
next few years.
Meanwhile, it is not clear what went wrong at St
Botolph's. Its chair of trustees, the Rev Brian Lee, rector of St Botolph's
church, has refused to discuss the charity's insolvency. An investigation has
begun into its financial management, and its trustees may have some tough
questions to answer. A local homelessness charity claims it could have helped
rescue St Botolph's if it had been given more notice. So why didn't the
trustees act earlier? The full story is yet to emerge, but at the very least St
Botolph's demise highlights the need for better governance.
Of course,
the charity could have been the victim of circumstance. Small to medium
charities, particularly in the homelessness sector, are operating in an
increasingly tough world. Funding is tight and complex. The days when smaller
charities could trundle along under the stewardship of clergymen and local
worthies are long gone. The boards of such organisations now need to ensure
that finances are more regularly checked. If the funding looks shaky, agency
mergers may be necessary.
But the problems for small charities for
homeless people will not be solved by good governance and financial checkups
alone. These are lean times for fundraisers for the homelessness cause. Two
years ago the government met its target of reducing the number of people
sleeping rough by two-thirds. However, homelessness has not gone away - the
number of people in temporary accommodation has reached alarming levels. But
without the emotive issue of rough sleeping to stir the public conscience, cash
in the buckets will be sparse.
The public often associates homelessness
with beggars and believes the ministerial rhetoric that rough sleeping has been
cracked. Meanwhile, the government and some local councils are claiming that
handing out soup and blankets is a misguided approach to the problem. The
emphasis, and money, is now on preventing homelessness rather than sustaining a
life on the streets.
The biggest homelessness charities, including
Crisis and Shelter, have been forced to change tack by highlighting less
visible housing problems, such as the "hidden homeless". But what about the
small agencies without big marketing budgets? They certainly cannot rely on
public funds and are being squeezed after the government cut the budget for the
new £1.8bn Supporting People programme - the main source of finance for
homelessness projects.
It seems, then, inevitable that homelessness
services will be provided by larger agencies with the biggest bank balances.
That may be no bad thing if small charities duplicating the work of others go
to the wall. But judging by the most recent closures it won't be as simple as
that.
By all accounts St Botolph's was providing pioneering services
that were responsive to local needs. Safe in the City worked with children and
young people at risk of fleeing the family home. Its approach was in line with
the government's agenda of preventing homelessness.
These charities - in
the best tradition of voluntary and community organisations - came up with
innovative responses to a problem that refuses to go away. There is a real
danger this inventiveness will be lost if services are concentrated in the
hands of a few big players.
· Matt Weaver is housing and
regeneration correspondent for SocietyGuardian.co.uk
13th March 2004 - Criminalisation of the
poor
MORE than 500 years after homeless people were first victimised
under the Vagabonds and Beggars Act, the Whitechapel Mission claims they are
once again being criminalised by "government, councils and their agents" simply
for being poor and on the streets.
"From imprisoning, criminalising and
questioning their mental health ... to feeling sorry for their plight and
offering pity and charity - these seem to be the two extremes of the pendulum
that continues to swing over the heads of the homeless and poor," said Mr Tony
Miller, director of the Whitechapel Mission, which receives more than 100
homeless people a day.
Mr Miller pointed out that in 1494, the Vagabonds
and Beggars Act determined that 'Vagabonds, idle and suspected persons shall be
set in the stocks for three days and three nights and have none other
sustenance but bread and water and then shall be put out of
Town'. Later, the Statute of Legal Settlement enacted that a 'sturdy
beggar' could be branded or made a slave for two years (or for life if he
absconded). The Act condemned "...foolish pity and mercy" for
vagrants.
Worse was to come - the Statute of Legal Settlement enacted
that a sturdy beggar could be branded or made a slave for two years (or for
life if he absconded). The Act condemned "...foolish pity and mercy" for
vagrants.
The year 1601 saw the passing of An Acte for the Reliefe
of the Poore which is often cited as marking the foundation of the Old Poor
Laws. Under this Act, each parish was obliged to relieve the aged
and the helpless, to bring up unprotected children in habits of industry and to
provide work for those capable of it, but who were lacking their usual
trade.
An Act of 1697 also required the "badging of the poor" - those in
receipt of poor relief were required to wear, in red or blue cloth on their
right shoulder, the letter "P" preceded by the initial letter of their
parish. Workhouses had existed since at least the late
1600s. They were places where the poor and homeless worked and, in
return, were fed and housed.
By the 1830s the prevailing view of
poverty was that it was the result of character weakness. This
attitude led to the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. It was believed
that those in dire need would accept the workhouse. The buildings
themselves were stark, undecorated, prison-like structures. There
were no curves in the buildings, only sharp corners. There was no
architectural decoration. High walls surrounded the whole workhouse, cutting
off the view of the outside world from the inmates. Even the windows
were six feet from the floor, and a further 'refinement' was to have the window
sills sloping downwards, preventing them from being used as seats of
shelves. No fireplaces broke the bare lines of the walls and any
heating provided usually was inadequate. Fires were put out at
8.30pm. A control hub at the centre let staff monitor the inmates'
activities.
Workhouses contained dormitories, washrooms, workrooms, a
'refractory ward' (solitary confinement), the mortuary, bake-house, receiving
wards, dining halls and a chapel. Any sick or old person housed on
the upper floors would virtually be a prisoner in the ward because they would
be unable to negotiate the stairs. Space was usually at a
premium. Too many people were crammed into the smallest space
possible - for example, eight beds could be put into a narrow dormitory only
sixteen feet long; thirty-two men were put into a dormitory 20 feet long; ten
children and their attendants were put into a room 10 feet by 15
feet.
The Poor Law Amendment Act was introduced to make the workhouses
more of a deterrent to idleness, as it came to be believed that people were
poor because they were idle and needed to be punished. So people in
workhouses were deliberately treated harshly and the workhouse conditions were
like those of prisons. The new Poor Law was seen as the final
solution to the problem of pauperism, which would work wonders for the moral
character of the working man. But it did not provide any such
solution. It improved neither the material nor moral condition of
the working class. The 1834 Act was ruthlessly and efficiently
enforced in rural southern England as soon as it was passed, and was
exceedingly unpopular.
Tony Miller said: "In 2004, there are
governments, councils and their agents who have tried to persuade the poor and
homeless to take advantage of the accommodation that they think is best for
them. They have tried waking them on the streets throughout the
night with the suggestion that they are trying to help them. They
have explained that they know best and they should take their professional
advice. They say it is now time to show these people that enough is
enough. So they arrest, fingerprint and DNA swab the poor and
homeless. These 'criminals' have to understand that being poor is
just unacceptable!
"The Whitechapel Mission has been caring for the poor
and homeless of London, regardless of race or religion, in their struggle
against hunger, poverty, disease, prejudice and exclusion, since
1876. The work was started due to individuals who believed that the
way society was treating the poor and homeless within its midst was
wrong. We believe that treating people this way is just as wrong
today. We can use fancy language and we can dress this up in so many
ways, but it will still be wrong. Wrong is always wrong."
* The views expressed
here are those of the Management and Trustees of the Whitechapel Mission. For
an unbiased and more detailed view of the Poor Laws of England and a history of
the workhouses, see Peter Higginbotham's web site
www.workhouses.org.uk
1st
February 2004 - fundraising
Always need a £1 for your TROLLEY or GYM LOCKER?
NEVER AGAIN!
with a
Whitechapel
Mission
“COIN” KEY RING |
 |
Available NOW for ONLY £1.50
|
1st January 2004 - Christmas Volunteers
Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays. A time of celebration, relaxing
with friends and family. A time of merriment, but not for
everybody!
Whitechapel remains open throughout the whole
year
A very special
thank you to the many hundreds of people that responded to the BBC appeal for
volunteers. We have not been able to even respond or reply to most
and for this we apologise. We are truly grateful for the
offer.
| We would like to offer our sincere
thanks to all of the volunteers that gave up their time to assist us over the
Christmas period of 2003 |
 |
1st January 2004
Volunteers from Byways - Stowmarket, working with Tony |
 |
31st December 2003
Volunteers from Tendring College,
working with Ruth |
 |
30th December 2003
Volunteers from Thorp Bay Methodist
Church, working with Ruth |
 |
29th December 2003
Volunteers from Trinity Methodist/URC
Church, working with Ruth |
 |
28th December 2003
Volunteers from South Chingford
Methodist Church, working with Tony |
 |
27th December 2003
Volunteers from The Brent Methodist
Church, working with Tony |
 |
26th December 2003
Volunteers from Huntingdon Methodist
Church, working with Tony |
 |
25th December 2003
Volunteers from "Tri-Bridge",
working with Tony |
 |
24th December 2003
Volunteers from Hextable Methodist
Church, working with Tony |
 |
23rd December 2003
Volunteers from Harpenden Mens
Fellowship, working with Tony |
 |
22nd December 2003
Volunteers from Lovells. Another very
busy day, additional food needing to be cooked, working with
Tony. We even offered flame grilled bacon this morning
:-) |
 |
21st December 2003
Volunteers from Digswell Village Church.
A very busy morning, with extra breakfasts needed, working with
Tony |
 |
20th December 2003
Volunteers from Brentwood Methodist
Church, working with Chris |
 |
19th December 2003
Volunteers from UK Trade &
Investment start our program of Christmas services, working
with Ruth |
10th October 2003 - Christmas Cards
To continue our
work amongst London’s poor and homeless costs more than £350,000
every year, so it's hardly surprising that we really mean it when we say that
every penny counts.
And one of the methods we hope to use to bring in
those vital funds is to sell a wide range of charity cards and gifts through
our annual Christmas Catalogue.
We are delighted to be able to offer our
charity Christmas cards for 2003, the profits of which will go towards the work
of The Whitechapel Mission to help enhance facilities and services within our
day centres.
There are a range of 12 cards, with a variety of different
verses and each say they are sold in aid of the Whitechapel Mission. All packs
contain 10 cards and envelopes.
Our groundbreaking work, funded
overwhelmingly by donations from the general public, delivers services that are
designed to save lives. That is why we need you to sit down and place your
order for Christmas cards now.
To View or Order our cards, please click here |
 |
7th
July - 20th August 2003 Over the last few years we have seen the demands on our
clothing store continue to rise, with us trying to squeeze more and more into
the same small area. It is located within the basement area on the Mission, and
as it sounds, is not and has never been the nicest places to work. In May of
2003 we began an ambitious plan to completely redesign and then rebuild the
clothing store.
The following photographs will show the stages of
developement.
Our most grateful thanks to:
The Partners of "Norton
Rose" - for making the funds available for the project
Fred Hart builders,
of Saffron Walden - for an excellent job at very reasonable
prices
| 21st June 2003 |
 |
 |
 |
| 1st July 2003 |
 |
 |
 |
| 8th July 2003 |
 |
 |
 |
| 20th August 2003 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
21st April 2003 For many years I have witnessed
the downfall of more and more good charitable works, because of
"professionalism". It begins when a local community group or church feels that
there is an element within their community that appears to be suffering or
being denied the services they require. They take action to rectify this and
before you know it, a new charitable work is created within the community. This
work thrives because of the enthusiasm and passion of the supporters and their
faith in the value of the work.
But long term funding for a project, no
matter how valid the project may be, has always been difficult. Funders want to
see some tangible results for the money invested within the work! Partnerships
with funding bodies want to see a level of "professionalism" and a deliverance
of services that match "their" expectations.
So our first professional
is employed. Soon to be two and three and, and… There is no longer the
need for as many volunteers from the founding group, or church. As the work
continues to grow, it is decided to find a "big name" to act as patron. To find
Trustees that have influence and know people in high positions. The decision to
distance the work from its origins soon follows because it is seen as the weak
element within the work. And the faith very quickly disappears from the
work!
This last weekend, was Easter. The most important weekend in the
Christian calendar and an equally important weekend in the Whitechapel
calendar. For people sleeping on the streets it will be just another day, or
will it?
I was shocked to discover that as we opened our doors at 6am on
Good Friday morning the numbers waiting to come into the centre were higher
than normal. We would expect to see between 80 and 120 people on a normal
Friday morning in April. Not bad numbers considering there are not supposed to
be any rough sleepers in East London.
By 8am we had served Fridays
breakfasts, Saturdays breakfasts and could not cook Sundays breakfasts fast
enough be meet the demands. Where had all these people come from? Why were they
piling through the doors in such great numbers? Because so many places had shut
for Easter. Staff not prepared to work unless they get double time and time-off
in recompense.
When attempting to get people booked into hostels, the
same answer came back over and over again. "Sorry, there are no staff on duty
that can sort this until next Tuesday"
This is not an attempt to decry
the importance of professionals and professional attitudes, but let's please
remember why our charitable works were formed and who we are here for. It is
not the staff, or the volunteers. It is not the funders or partners, but the
people in need coming through our doors!
Our thanks to staff and
volunteers that made our easter services possible this year. Very special
thanks to the volunteers from The Bourne Methodist Church for their
unbelievable efforts on Good Friday, and to the Trustees that gave up their
time to work over Easter, allowing key staff some time off work!
17th March 2003 Westminster Council proposes to
prevent "soup runs" delivering support to people on the Streets.
Council
leaders believe that the independently-organised soup runs contribute to the
problem of homelessness by helping rough sleepers stay on the streets, rather
than accepting help.
Westminster's leader, Simon Milton, said he faced a
"hardcore" of homeless people who needed to be forced to "come in from the
cold".
The council has already proposed fines of up to £500 for
anyone sleeping rough in high profile areas such as Westminster Cathedral
piazza and St James's park.
Mr Milton said: "As hard as it sounds, we
need to make street life as uncomfortable as we can in order to persuade the
most entrenched rough sleepers to accept the help we offer them every day.
7th January 2003 As the temperature drops below
freezing, Whitechapel Mission opens its doors throughout the night. Our day
centres will remain open and a full cooked breakfast will be available in the
morning. This is going to put a big strain on our staff and resources, but we
feel it is better to act now and talk about it later.
|
|
