8:53am Tuesday 6th October 2009
The eleven thousand pounds raised by a charity golf day has helped Open Door to achieve its £300,000 fundraising target for building works.
Work is already underway to redevelop Open Door, the emergency night shelter in Bricket Road that has helped over 7,000 vulnerable, homeless people in St Albans since 1993.
The golf day, organised by Hightown Praetorian & Churches Housing Association (Hightown) which manages the night shelter, was supported by 88 golfers. Following a round of golf at Ashridge Golf Club, the participants further contributed to Open Door by buying raffle tickets and bidding for a variety of auction items ranging from a football shirt signed by Pele, to a trip on a Harley Davidson.
Margaret Lewis, Chair of the Open Door Trust, said “I am delighted that we have reached our first fundraising target for the building work. Now we can focus on raising money for the fitting out as well as the £75,000 we need to operate the night shelter and drop in day service each year.”
The refurbishment of the Victorian building that Open Door uses will provide single bedrooms with wash facilities, rather than the existing dormitory accommodation. This will offer a much better environment for homeless people that will help boost self-esteem and support them as they seek to change their lives. Other improvements to the building will include the extension of the communal areas to offer access to computers, so opening up on-line resources to help users back into longer term housing, education and work. Revised room arrangements will improve the provision of counselling as well as access to physical and mental healthcare, so addressing the problems that can lead to homelessness.
The pressures on the staff and volunteers will be reduced through improvements to the kitchen, food storage, laundry facilities and the staff overnight accommodation. The developments will also give access to disabled users.
To enable the building works to get underway, Open Door has moved to temporary accommodation, and can no longer accept direct access clients. All referral agencies will be advised on a daily basis of how many vacant beds are available, and clients will need to be referred by 5.00pm. Night shelter clients will be offered individual resettlement appointments with Day Service staff at our offices in St Albans.
Normal service will be resumed once Open Door moves back into the redeveloped building on Bricket Road, in February/March next year.
St Albans City District Council and Hightown submitted a joint bid for funding under the ‘Places for Change Programme’ and were successful in being allocated a grant of £525,000. The redevelopment work will cost approximately £825,000. The shortfall has been raised by the Open Door Trust. Further fundraising initiatives planned include a sponsored sleep out on 4th December 2009.
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