July at CENS – More Needed than Ever

July hasn’t been quite the month we expected, and that’s not just because the weather has been so cool.

Worrying Homelessness Stats

For CENS, the number of people phoning asking to come into the shelter every day has been increasing over the last few months. July saw a whopping 92 people turned away over the month compared to the 6 spaces that came up. Summer is traditionally a quieter time for referrals at CENS and it is normally winter that sees high numbers of people trying to escape the bad weather, so you can see how the increase in referrals over the summer is a source of concern.

Great July Reviews

It not all bad news, however. We have seen 5 residents move on positively in July, including one resident moving into our move-in accommodation. Two left us heart-warming reviews:

‘I would like to thank all the staff for all there amazing work they do and have done’

‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and everyone at CENS for having me, its been a pleasure to be resident there.’

Friends of CENS

With the knowledge that CENS is more needed than ever, July has seen the launch of our fundraising campaign ‘Friends of CENS’ If you have ever thought of giving to CENS, then a monthly donation is the way that helps us most. Just a couple of pounds a month can make a real difference to people in need. You can find out more about why and how to do it here.

Another fantastic way to help us make a difference is by giving to our wishlist! You can have a look here:

It’s all the different things we get through a lot. With 15 rooms, you can imagine how much laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc we get through! We also like to let residents keep bedding when they move on, as they are often starting out with nothing, so more bedding is always a blessing.

Now for Something Lovely

One of our residents is extremely talented with henna, and she has been spoiling residents and staff with her beautiful designs. It’s actually very therapeutic, and when one of our female resident was having a really terrible day, it was just the thing to boost her self esteem a little.

Al’s Annexe is Going Grey

And going strong, with a new resident moving in this month. As we were between residents it seemed like a good opportunity to give one room a bit of a spritz, and we settled on a calming grey theme. We think it looks pretty nice!

This new resident will be the 13^th to go through the doors. You can find out more about Al’s Annexe here

Open Day Antics

We enjoyed welcoming some of our colleagues in other agencies to CENS a few weeks ago. A great time was had by all and it was an opportunity to showcase the work of an artist who is currently living in Al’s Annexe.