Opening Cyrenians Self Build

Elliot House Self Build Opens

"Congratulations on your success, you are giving homeless people more than a roof - you are giving them a job, a career, self-esteem, a new hope." So said Hilary Armstrong MP (Minister for Social Exclusion) at the grand opening of a £600,000 hostel re-development on Tyneside. And this is no ordinary re-development, this is the only scheme in the country where homeless people have built their own hostel.

The mood of celebration, as Hilary unveiled a plaque reading "Elliot House - Place of Change", was more than justified. Well over a 100 people had turned out to applaud the success of the hostel development programme. Jenny Edwards, chief executive of Homeless Link, heralded the Cyrenians' initiative as proof that innovative approaches to tackling homelessness could acheive dramatic success in helping service users to move on with their lives. She also hoped this inspiring scheme would encourage us all to work harder towards the goal of ending homelessness for good.

The picture above shows Hilary Armstrong (centre, in pink) and Jenny Edwards alongside ex-homeless service users, officers from Newcastle City Council and the Department for Communities & Local Government, as well as board members and staff from Tyneside Cyrenians.

Backed by this broad partnership, and armed with vision and determnination, Cyrenians Chief Executive Stephen Bell and project manager Alex Winter have seen through a project that has not only improved accommodation at the Elliot House hostel by also changed the lives of 11 homeless men. They have learny a new trade working on the building project with contractor Lumsden & Caroll. Foreman Peter - who has been vital to the scheme's success - is also pictured, second from the right.

Stephen Bell - recently named Voluntary Sector Entrepreneur of the Year - praised the commitment of the homeless men who started out using Cyrenians direct access services and are now qualified builders. The grand opening audience, including the Mayor of Newcastle, Deputy Leader of the City Council and many more from the homeless sector, was thrilled to hear from Stuart - one of the service users who has benefitted from the scheme.

Stuart described just how unique this programme was, exaplining how it helped him move from a life of crime and homelessness to a new future, with a new trade and a new opportunities.

The self-build scheme was funded through the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme, and is a fore-runner to a £1.6million self-build scheme starting next year at Cyrenians' Virginia House hostel. Virginia House will be an even more exciting project, involving more service users and creating another "place of change", equipped with a gym, internet cafe, and recording/broadcast radio studio.

Watch out for Tyne Tees news bulletins covering the opening next week, or contact neil.baird@tynesidecyrenians.co.uk to get information packs about the scheme.

For more information on creating "places of change" follow this link

Want to find out more about the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme in the North East, and how it might help you, then get in touch with the Homeless Link regional manager here.