Sportspark, Norfolk’s leading sports facility based at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, has made a donation of £504.55 to St Martins Housing Trust. Founded in 1972 to address the needs of homeless people in Norwich and Norfolk, St Martins provides temporary accommodation for people in crisis, and is committed to providing support and advice to help them get back on their feet.
Through the recently relaunched Charity Spinner scheme Sportspark customers have the chance to offer a small donation for a copy of the Eastern Daily Press or Norwich Evening News. Every charity that benefits from the monthly appeal is chosen by Sportspark customers and members of the community.
St Martins will see the donation put to good use as they continue to offer emergency direct access accommodation, residential care and support and development to enable homeless people to achieve their full potential and a greater level of independence. Their services include:
- Bishopbridge House – Direct Access and Resettlement Hostel.
- Highwater House & Carrow Hill Home – Registered care homes for people with mental health problems and/or drug/alcohol dependency
- Group homes – A number of shared houses which act as a stepping-stone toward independent accommodation.
- Contact, Assessment & Prevention Service (CAPS) – Provides ongoing support and assistance to address the difficulties faced by people who are either sleeping rough or in insecure accommodation and at risk of becoming homeless. This work includes a one night a week street-based shift that makes direct contact with rough sleepers in the city.
- Temporary Accommodation Project (TAP) – Began life as a pilot project in 2001 and now manages temporary accommodation on behalf of Norwich City Council for single homeless people whose homelessness applications are being investigated. The accommodation is in shared houses and is a more attractive alternative to staying in bed and breakfast accommodation.
- Under-1-Roof – A training, education and employment preparation centre opened in February 2010 to provide a welcoming environment for users where they can take part in training tailored to their specific needs and delivered by established local training providers.
- LEAP – Norwich City Council and St Martins Housing Trust’s Learning Employment Accommodation project (LEAP) is a very special service providing employment, education, training and accommodation opportunities.
General Manager of St Martins Housing Trust, Derek Player said: “We are most grateful to Sportspark and their customers for this donation. Without such generosity and all-round support from the local community we could not provide the level of support to homeless people in Norwich that we have done every year since 1972.”
Sportspark Director, Phil Steele, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support St Martins Housing Trust and the vital service that they provide to homeless people within our community. With the support of experienced staff and dedicated volunteers, St Martins provided beds for people who would otherwise be sleeping on the streets of Norwich over Christmas. I’d like to thank our customers for their continued support of our monthly charity appeals.”
Sportspark is still welcoming nominations for local charities to benefit from their monthly Charity Spinner Appeal. January’s charity is NORCAS, who work with people of all ages who have problems with alcohol, drugs or gambling. They provide advice and information and can offer professional help where it is needed. They believe that reducing the problems caused by addictive behaviour can unlock people’s potential, allowing them to take control of their life and destiny. Now working with Phoenix Futures they are aiming to provide for more people with your help.
For more information about Sportspark visit www.sportspark.co.uk
We can promote your business every week on the Iceni Post!
