October 23, 2023

Volunteers Ian and Billy, from Calderwood House in Egremont, came to one of our first Community Connectors workshop in March 2023.

Calderwood House is a homeless hostel. We have continued to work with them regularly so that they now are leading an event on Rent Arrears on 2nd November. Representatives from Housing Associations, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, and Cumberland Council have all confirmed they are coming along to hear the lived experience of those who have been homeless. Ian has even felt empowered enough to write and invite Prince William to attend. Our Community Connectors are speaking to current and former residents at Calderwood and inviting them to tell their stories at this event.

Further work has been going on in the background. Ian formerly worked in the catering industry has a keen interest in working with Calderwood residents to look at meal planning affordable, nutritious meals for when they move into their own accommodation. He has secured part time employment with Calderwood as their Nutrition Manager to work in this very area.

Our Community Connectors also hope to use these skills with volunteer residents to give back to the local community, either supporting the local Warm Hub or delivering meals. That is all on hold until after their big event in November and while Ian adjusts to his new role. We have been working in the background ensuring that these Calderwood Community Connectors have been able to talk to the right people about the issues that concern them.

Our volunteers say the hardest part of being homeless in Cumbria is when you can’t get a hot drink in the middle of night in winter with our awful weather. They will focus in due course on the possibility of an overnight temporary shelter for those living rough. True empowerment is coming out of this project for these volunteers when we can help them talk to the right people about the real issues they have faced, to help others in the future.

“When you are homeless you lose your voice. You take a back seat. You are like at the back of a room, and you just see life going on around you. But [at Calderwood] you can begin to be heard. You can go back into community. I can get back to where I was. This place will definitely let me do that.”

From Calderwood website.