Your community
Expanding our support for those that need it most
With what’s been happening around the world in 2021-22, our supported living team has responded to some unique challenges over the past year to help people in desperate need.
As well as the support we’ve been offering through our refuges for survivors of domestic abuse and young LGBTQ+ people, we’ve also been helping people that have risked everything to seek safety for themselves and their families in the UK.
Through our partnership working with local authorities, we’ve been able to give people fleeing war-torn countries somewhere safe and secure to stay, and we’ve also had specialist projects running to support underage asylum-seeking children who have arrived in the UK after difficult journeys. During the crisis in Afghanistan in 2021, we joined with more than 100 councils and other organisations to pledge to support for people seeking safety.
Our work to support people fleeing domestic abuse has continued with the opening of new accommodation and refuges, and this year we have found ways to help a more diverse range of people facing very specific challenges. Specialist projects to support male domestic abuse survivors, working women fleeing domestic abuse, the LGBTQ+ community and people with complex cultural challenges have all been put into action during 2021-22.
We’ve also been busy finding ways to help more people learn new skills and find new careers through our employability work. Working with our contractors and partners, we’ve been finding ways to create opportunities for Stonewater customers to gain valuable experience, find a job, go to workshops and explore new passions.
“I was very happy when I finally arrived at the Foyer. I love my shared kitchen, my own bedroom and having a place to study. Oxford staff are great and they are very kind, they try to help with everything we need. I am unsure what the future holds but I feel safe for the next year.”
Supporting young asylum seekers
Imagine, at 16 years-old, having to leave your home and travel thousands of miles just to find safety. For the 21 unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) that we supported in 2021-22, that was a reality.
Our Supported Living Team, working with local authorities, supported the young people, all aged 16-18, through projects in Poole and Abingdon, giving them a safe place to stay after their long and dangerous journeys. Through stable and secure housing, personal support and compassionate communities, we’re now helping them prepare for their futures.
In order to help the new arrivals feel at home, rooms at the schemes were refurbished and communal areas redecorated to make sure that any photos or posters on the walls didn’t trigger any trauma related to what they’d been through. The team also gave out welcome packs which included prayer mats, books, toiletries, fidget spinners for stress relief and special sleep packs designed to aid rest and recuperation.
Special events and activities were also laid on by the teams which helped the UASCs meet with others living at the schemes and introduce them to their new communities.
One of the asylum seekers living in the Poole scheme, said: “Here, the staff were nice like every other staff I have met, they connected with young people and every other person in the house. When I moved in they provided me with everything I wanted with no delay at all. One of the staff named Maxine had to make me a drawer during her free time, what a kind hearted person. She always calls me to participate in different activities like playing pool with her and playing darts with her. These moments were always special for me because I haven’t had this kinds of moments in a long time”
One of the young people from the Abingdon project, said: “It took around 11 months from leaving my home in Sudan to arriving at the Foyer. It was a hard journey from my house to the UK, I went through many countries. I used all types of transport, bus, car, train, walking and boat. I met others coming over. At night we slept anywhere, we didn’t have anything, sometimes blankets, sometimes not. We would eat anything we could find. When we got to France, organisations helped us with food. I was very happy when I finally arrived at the Foyer. I love my shared kitchen, my own bedroom and having a place to study. It was lovely to have the welcome gifts and the sleep packs help at night. It’s comfortable here. Oxford staff are great and they are very kind, they try to help with everything we need. I am unsure what the future holds but I feel safe for the next year.”
Inside our specialist accommodation for women fleeing domestic abuse
We worked with Grand Union Housing Group and Bedford Borough Council to open new safe and secure housing for women fleeing domestic abuse.
The accommodation can support up to ten women in self-contained flats, with each big enough for those bringing children with them. Take a look inside: