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Simon presently provides accommodation in the form of community houses low
support housing, outreach services including soup runs, early morning tea runs,
Street Café and streetwork, a visits service for ex-residents who now live
independently and an informal drop-in centre.
Move-on House
The next step toward more independent housing - living and working as a community.
Low-Support Housing
Offers long-term, low-level support to former Simon Community members.
Outreach
Outreach, which includes street work and our tea and soup-runs, is a fundamental
part of the work we do.
Visits
Maintaining contact with formerly homeless people who are now in settled accommodation.
Active Simon
Active Simon is a resource and recreation centre for the homeless.
 Low-Support
Housing
Low-support housing is for those community members who have grown through the
community and managed to achieve a greater level of independence. They take prime
responsibility for the running of the household and require little support from
our volunteer workers. For some residents this is the final stepping stone towards
wholly independent living.
Outreach
Outreach, which includes streetwork and our tea and soup-runs, is a fundamental
part of the work we do. It is often the first contact we have with people who
are sleeping rough in London.
Street work
Street work involves going out on the streets of London every day of the year.
We go out to spend time and talk to people, and we do so representing Simon and
our philosophy of acceptance, tolerance, and understanding. We aim to develop
supportive relationships with those who are vulnerable and isolated. Meeting people
for the first time is a chance to build a rapport with them and to try to understand
their needs.
The majority of homeless people are isolated, at best they are ignored, and
at worst they are abused. To have a conversation with those who have been socially
excluded is to see them as fellow human beings. It is a start to building trust
where there is an expectation of fear and disapproval, and where prejudice and
discrimination are faced every day.
Tea & Soup Runs
We do an early morning tea run two mornings a week and a soup and sandwiches run
two evenings a week. This is also an opportunity to hand out clothes and blankets.
Street Café
Every Monday and Wednesday we do a street café at the church of St Mary-le-Strand.
There is a lovely outdoor area where we set up chairs and tables and provide newspapers,
tea, coffee and biscuits. The people who come to street café tell us they
like it because it is an opportunity to come and read the newspapers quietly,
in privacy and without worrying about being moved on.
All our outreach work keeps us in touch with the latest news on the streets,
and helps us to monitor how many people are
sleeping rough at different times throughout the year. It also means that we can
keep in close contact with as many people as possible, and to respond as far as
we can to their needs. Although each rough sleeper's needs are different, an offer
of friendship with a non-judgmental face is usually welcome.
The whole Community takes part in outreach; residents from our houses, ex-residents
living outside Community, as well as part and full-time volunteer workers.
Visits
Taking people from the streets and placing them in more permanent accommodation
does not necessarily mean that people are no longer homeless. Just because someone
has a roof and a television it does not mean that the underlying problems which
caused them to become homeless in the first place have been resolved. The Visits
Project hopes to address this issue by offering long term support to former Simon
Community residents who have moved into their own flats. We offer support in a
myriad of ways, typically this involves:
- budgeting - for example, ensuring that the electric bill is paid on time
- emotional support and understanding - someone to talk to
- explaining rights in relation to housing associations and landlords
- putting people in contact with services offered in their local area - shopping,
transport and companionship on hospital visits
This is an essential part of the Community's work in order to break the long-term
cycle of homelessness. There are currently about 50 people on the Visits list.
Active Simon
129 Malden Road, London NW5 4HS
One of the purposes of the Active Simon is to provide a resource and recreation
centre for the homeless, aimed at reducing the barriers to independent life and
encouraging positive activities.
Situated in a terraced house in North London, people are able to use the Active
Simon to cook themselves a meal, unwind at a video night, use the showers, do
some washing, or work in the garden. They also have access to the phone and the
internet to keep in touch with friends and family, or to research job and training
opportunities.
It is also a place where people can seek advice on gaining access to other
service providers, such as counseling or medical centres - or even just come for
some company, a chat and a cup of tea.
All these activities are conducted individually or in small groups, with support
from volunteer workers.
In the near future we will be able to use the Active Simon to train new volunteer
workers, and provide homeless people with training and education opportunities,
such as IT and literacy skills.
We are extremely grateful to Streetsmart
and the City Parochial Fund for making donations toward the setting-up of Active
Simon and the development of training and workshops.
Active Simon is also the central point for the coordination of our outreach
services.
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