The darker side of Christmas

For many, this time of the year is about family, friends, fun and laughter. Whether we spend Christmas in the sunshine, with our family at home or enjoying the break with our friends, most of us are blessed to have love, warmth, food and money to make for a great Christmas.

For our clients, this is not their reality. Many are either sleeping on the streets, trying to find somewhere safe for the night or they are living alone without anyone to share the festive period.

This is Susan’s story.

“It was a horrible experience being street rough during Christmas time, I would not want to face it again. I hopefully I won’t thanks to SPEAR. People who are not homeless don’t understand how hard it is not being with family and not having somewhere to be at this time of year. I’m still getting over my experience of being homeless, I see others who are sleeping out now and I feel so sorry that they are out at Christmas. Many don’t understand that for people sleeping out, they are worried about where they are going to sleep tonight and can’t enjoy the festivities. I’m really glad that SPEAR exists, without their help I would not be in a flat now, the work they do is brilliant and I am hoping to do some volunteer work with them in the future. One of the things that SPEAR staff gave me as soon as they found me sleeping on a green in Richmond was hope, and having that hope helped me to keep going until we found accommodation for me. This year Christmas will be different and a happier time for me, thanks to the support and care offered to me by SPEAR .”

*Client name has been changed

If you are in receipt of the annual Winter Fuel Payment but don’t need this allowance then would you consider donating some, or all, of it to SPEAR? This is an easy way for those who

feel this is an extra payment that isn’t necessary for themselves to make a real difference in the lives of our clients.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout our 25th anniversary year, whether at an individual level or through churches, schools and community groups.

Every donation is crucial to help SPEAR continue providing support for vulnerable people. We would like to particularly thank Simon Shanks and Sian Boisseau who undertook individual challenges and raised much needed funds for SPEAR.

Thank you also to the trusts and companies who have supported us - we would like to specifically thank the Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity, Richmond Parish Lands Charity, The Monument Trust, Adobe Foundation, Virgo Health, and St George and the Berkeley Foundation.

There’s no need to stop fundraising once our birthday celebrations come to an end. Unfortunately, our work is still vital, and so is your support.

You could hold an event to raise money for SPEAR. This can work particularly well at Christmas, you can have anything from a mulled wine and mince pie evening to a collection at a carol concert to a Christmas Ball. We are particularly suggesting that the week beginning 3rd December is ‘SPEAR event week’ but you can choose any date – before Christmas or in the New Year that suits you. New Year is always a time when people are looking for something fun to do so you could hold a quiz night (we can send you a ready-written quiz to use), train for a 10k (or longer!) run, or get your friends together for a dinner party that you sell tickets to. We can provide more copies of our newsletter, SPEAR leaflets, and gift aids forms for you to use, simply email Kerry@spearlondon.org or call 020 7036 9766 to request these. And don’t forget to send us your photos afterwards!

SPEAR Housing Association Ltd - Charity Registration No: 1122206 - Company Registration No: 6396687 -

www.spearlondon.org

“Just a quick ‘thank you’ to you all, for all the help you have given me

since last October. You have brought me to my senses, given me

independence, but most of all, have made me move forward to

independent living.

Without your assistance, I would be back to square one – homeless.”

SPEAR wins Best Charity Award!

In October, SPEAR was delighted to win Best Charity at the Richmond Business Awards. Organised by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the business awards recognise the talents of local companies and charities for their hard work helping to serve the community. SPEAR’s Chief Executive, Stuart Nevill and Resources Director, Kaye Savage, accompanied by our client John and Malcolm Wood from our corporate sponsor St George, attended the ceremony at the prestigious Richmond Hill Hotel. Following a delightful dinner with our peers, SPEAR was declared winner by John Stapleton and Lynne Faulds-Wood, receiving great accolades for our application and the services that we provide to support people in the Borough. “SPEAR presented a great application which hit every mark of excellence and demonstrated true innovation in all areas of the organisation”. We look forward to continuing to innovate and develop new ways of ensuring people in need are receiving the best support possible, and we would like to thank Anne Newton, David Sidonio and everyone who has helped SPEAR to win this award.

A Great Big Snoozing Success!

For the third year running, SPEAR hosted The Big SPEAR Snooze in October. The event was attended by donors, volunteers, clients, church leaders and local businesses with everyone sleeping outside to raise funds for the charity. Hosted from the Harlequins Stadium in Twickenham, the event was sponsored this year by St George and the Berkeley Foundation, raising not only the profile of the event, but ensuring that every penny participants raised could be used directly to support our clients. The evening was a great success with over 150 people attending the evening party. The entertainment included live music from Rock Choir entertainment from Funny Women comedian Viv Groskop and a tasty supper of fish and chips. The return of The Big Snooze Quiz again proved very enjoyable (and competitive!) - congratulations to St George for winning without the use of Google! At midnight the 62 participants found a spot for the night and from the snoring heard around the stadium, some people did sleep exceptionally well! The aim of the Snooze was to raise people’s awareness of rough sleeping. Although one night can not compare to the harsh realities of sleeping out every night, people were extremely humbled by the experience. The event has raised over £8,000. We are so grateful to everyone who took part or sponsored a Snoozer and we hope you will join us next year.

“After one night sleeping outside on the coldest night for 7 months, we were all ready to get back to the comfort of our own homes and beds. In a modern, caring society homelessness is unacceptable and needs addressing head on, which is what SPEAR are doing. Their work is commendable and, by sponsoring the Big Snooze, we hope that we have, alongside SPEAR, helped to raise local and national awareness of this problem”.

In the new year SPEAR is launching a monthly email newsletter. This is in response to the Focus Groups we have held where supporters expressed a wish to be more informed with our work. If we have an email address for you then we will send you the newsletter and hope you will find it interesting, however, if you would prefer not to receive it then there will be an easy way to opt-out. If you would like to be sent the newsletter but haven’t given us your email address then send an email to Kerry@spearlondon.org

Do the Marathon for SPEAR

Do you or a friend have a place for the London Marathon 2013? Do you need to choose a charity? If this sounds like you, then we would be really grateful if you could run for SPEAR! Our Fundraising team can provide dedicated support along the way, helping with your sponsorship and training plan. We’ll happily generate media coverage and be there on the day to cheer you to the finish line! To discuss this further please contact our Fundraising team on 0207 036 9773.

Ian Dobie

Severe Weather Accommodation

When the weather is forecasted to be 0°c or below for three consecutive nights, SWEP - the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol - is activated and in partnership with the Local Authority, SPEAR provide accommodation for rough sleepers. This is usually in local Bed and Breakfasts but we are also able to provide emergency shelter for four additional people at Penny Wade House. This not only means people have a safe and warm place to sleep during severe weather but it also gives us the opportunity to get to know these clients more and be able to assess their needs for housing in the longer term. We are truly grateful to our group of volunteers who give up their time to make this possible.