By Hannah Seaman
A homeless shelter in Barnsley is appealing for volunteers this Christmas so that they can open for longer hours over the festive period.
The shelter is organised by the voluntary group Barnsley Homelessness and has run for the past three years. It is hosted by the YMCA and provides food, bedding, clothing, showers and a warm, safe place for around 30 people to sleep.
This year the group want to open the shelter for longer hours, especially on Christmas day. It needs about 40 volunteers to help with the preparation of meals and the general running of the shelter.
David Brannan, 57, Barnsley Homelessness organiser and volunteer said: “I have helped at the shelter for the past two years and it is a really brilliant way to help those that are less fortunate. It gives a tremendous sense of having done something special over Christmas which is refreshing when we constantly face a commercial overkill.”
It will offer bed, breakfast and an evening meal from 5pm on the 24th December. It will continue on the 25th and 26th between 5pm and 10am. It will close at 10am on the 27th.
Barnsley Homelessness also wants to set up a more permanent shelter in Barnsley that is open all year round.
Mr Brannan said: “Other towns have these facilities but they do not exist in Barnsley. If the homeless in Barnsley want shelter many may have to travel to Sheffield or Doncaster. A shelter should be all year and not just for Christmas.
“With the economic down turn it is even more important that there are facilities for the homeless. It is entirely possible we will see the number of homeless increase with many people losing their homes over the next year.”
Volunteers need to be aged 18 or over and willing to offer a minimum of two hours between 4pm and 11am on the dates above.
They should be free to attend a briefing about inductions, roles and health and safety on either Saturday 6th December at 4pm or Tuesday 9th of December at 7pm at the YMCA Barnsley.
For further information email barnsleyhomelessness@gmail.com, or call the YMCA 01126 213123.
Wednesday 24 December 2008
Life-line for rape crisis centre
By Hannah Seaman
The rape crisis centre in Barnsley which was facing closure is finally able to celebrate its 20th anniversary after securing emergency funding from the government.
Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Helpline will receive £48,000.00 of the £705,000 announced nationally. Nineteen other centres in England and Wales will also benefit.
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, announced the fund back in March 2008. But the money will only keep the centres open until March 2009.
Dr Nicole Westmarland, Chair of Rape Crisis England and Wales, said: "Thanks to the emergency fund, 2008 has been the first year that no rape crisis centre has closed. It is our hope that this is a turning point, but for this to be the case we need urgent discussions to take place about what will happen from March 2009."
Katie Russell, 27, Development Worker at BSARCH and Yorkshire & Humber Representative for Rape Crisis England & Wales, said that they were very relieved to secure funding and without it they would have been in dire straights.
She said “We would have had to make staff redundant and wind down some of our services. But our future still remains uncertain and funding continues to be a problem.”
Last week Shadow Minister for Women, Theresa May MP, visited BSARCH at its new offices at Voluntary Action Barnsley in the town centre. She has continually raised the plight of rape crisis centres in the House of Commons.
She said: “The establishment of the one-year emergency fund is a welcome step, but it is frankly ridiculous for services as important as Rape Crisis centres to be living from hand to mouth each month.”
A recent report, by the Women's Resource Centre & Rape Crisis (England & Wales), revealed that more and more centres are closing. It said that in 1984 there were 68 centres in England and Wales but today only 38 remain. Nine have closed in the last five years.
BSARCH is a voluntary organisation and is responsible for its own funding. It relies on a team of four paid workers and 27 trained volunteers who provide free, confidential, counselling to females who are victims of sexual violence. Its helpline handles 500 calls per year and 120-150 women per year attend face to face counselling.
Miss Russell said: “Using local population figures and published research, we estimate there are around 22,560 women living in the Barnsley area who could benefit from our services.”
The funding will allow BSARCH to continue its existing services and to pilot weekly meetings for young women who have suffered sexual abuse.
Miss Russell said that there is still a lot of stigma around sexual violence and people are often reluctant to come forward and talk.
For the last six years BSARCH has received grants from the Big Lottery Fund and it has recently reapplied to them for £500,000 over the next four years. It receives £5,000 per year from Barnsley Borough Council.
For further information visit www.bsarch.org. Or if you are victim of sexual violence call their emergency helpline on 01226 298560.
The rape crisis centre in Barnsley which was facing closure is finally able to celebrate its 20th anniversary after securing emergency funding from the government.
Barnsley Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Helpline will receive £48,000.00 of the £705,000 announced nationally. Nineteen other centres in England and Wales will also benefit.
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, announced the fund back in March 2008. But the money will only keep the centres open until March 2009.
Dr Nicole Westmarland, Chair of Rape Crisis England and Wales, said: "Thanks to the emergency fund, 2008 has been the first year that no rape crisis centre has closed. It is our hope that this is a turning point, but for this to be the case we need urgent discussions to take place about what will happen from March 2009."
Katie Russell, 27, Development Worker at BSARCH and Yorkshire & Humber Representative for Rape Crisis England & Wales, said that they were very relieved to secure funding and without it they would have been in dire straights.
She said “We would have had to make staff redundant and wind down some of our services. But our future still remains uncertain and funding continues to be a problem.”
Last week Shadow Minister for Women, Theresa May MP, visited BSARCH at its new offices at Voluntary Action Barnsley in the town centre. She has continually raised the plight of rape crisis centres in the House of Commons.
She said: “The establishment of the one-year emergency fund is a welcome step, but it is frankly ridiculous for services as important as Rape Crisis centres to be living from hand to mouth each month.”
A recent report, by the Women's Resource Centre & Rape Crisis (England & Wales), revealed that more and more centres are closing. It said that in 1984 there were 68 centres in England and Wales but today only 38 remain. Nine have closed in the last five years.
BSARCH is a voluntary organisation and is responsible for its own funding. It relies on a team of four paid workers and 27 trained volunteers who provide free, confidential, counselling to females who are victims of sexual violence. Its helpline handles 500 calls per year and 120-150 women per year attend face to face counselling.
Miss Russell said: “Using local population figures and published research, we estimate there are around 22,560 women living in the Barnsley area who could benefit from our services.”
The funding will allow BSARCH to continue its existing services and to pilot weekly meetings for young women who have suffered sexual abuse.
Miss Russell said that there is still a lot of stigma around sexual violence and people are often reluctant to come forward and talk.
For the last six years BSARCH has received grants from the Big Lottery Fund and it has recently reapplied to them for £500,000 over the next four years. It receives £5,000 per year from Barnsley Borough Council.
For further information visit www.bsarch.org. Or if you are victim of sexual violence call their emergency helpline on 01226 298560.
Celebrating Volunteering in Barnsley
By Hannah Seaman
A former footballer from Georgia and his team celebrated volunteering in Barnsley this weekend with other community groups at a forum held at the town’s travel interchange.
The Promote Volunteering Forum was organised by the council’s team at One Barnsley in partnership with Voluntary Action Barnsley. It aimed to promote and celebrate volunteering in the town.
Around 20 community organisations took part in the forum including: Mencap, Girl Guiding, Young Diallers, Radio Barnsley, Neighbourhood Watch and Barnsley International Football Club.
Davit Khutsishvili, 49, is Volunteer Chairman and General Manager for Barnsley International Football Club which he set up four years ago. He played professional football in Georgia before seeking asylum in Britain.
He said: “Volunteering with the club is my life. It is so important to give the young people of Barnsley something constructive to do with their time. Hopefully this event today will show people how they can get involved.”
He said that the club aimed to unite young people from all backgrounds and to give them a chance to play sport. It has players from Russia, Poland, India, Nigeria, Algeria, Iraq and Britain.
Miss Helen Knox, 29, from the Community Planning Office at One Barnsley organised the event. She said: “We wanted to promote volunteering in Barnsley and boost people’s skills. It is a part of civic life that has been undervalued and we wanted to celebrate the many volunteers and their special work.”
Throughout the day circus acts performed and the jazz band, Gershwin Gang, entertained shoppers with Christmas music. Girl-guides from across Barnsley put on face painting and craft stalls.
Tina Redhall, 43, Employment and Volunteer Coordinator at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, said that it had been a great chance to network with other volunteering groups.
Megan Luck, 25 Volunteer Development Officer of the Mencap Volunteering team, said: “It has been a really encouraging day. At Mencap we try to encourage people with learning disabilities to get involved with volunteering. This is a new concept as often they are the recipients of it.”
Lee Marsh, 35, is a volunteer with Mencap at the Elsecar Heritage Railway. He said: “I work on the railway tracks and help with the painting. I really enjoy it. Its helpful and I get to meet lots of new people.”
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