B&Q Sunderland

The Faith Feeders project has been set up for a number of years and has grown significantly throughout those years. We currently cater for around 60 guests with a freshly cooked hot meal to takeaway along clothing, food items to take home. We are currently supporting several organisations who also provide food for the homeless, supporting women's refuges throughout the years and recently assisting Age UK with providing extras for the elderly in our Community. As a Church we have several singles mothers who receive regular groceries along clothing, bedding etc. Our project is self-funded and grateful for organisations who have come alongside to support this thriving project but in order to expand and reach the wider community more help is required. We are constantly looking for extra food items and sources to support what we do as this will certainly enable us to support all these various groups and needs within our community. Our ultimate aim would be to set up a housing project to cater for the needs of the homeless but until such a time as the funding becomes available we are grateful to be able to impact their lives in some small way. Simply to touch a life. To make a difference.

Our project operates from the RCCG Living Faith Sunderland church premises, located at North Bridge Street, Sunderland. SR5 1AB. Our facilities are equipped to support a variety of community services and activities, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment for all who visit. We distribute from the charity building every Sunday and every other days. We identify service users and their needs by community outreach, direct engagement, and feedback from our congregation and local partners. This includes conducting surveys, holding community meetings, and maintaining open lines of communication with those we serve. Our dedicated team of volunteers and church members actively listen to the needs of our community, ensuring that our services are tailored to meet these needs effectively. In addition to food support, RCCG Living Faith Sunderland offers a range of services. All the services provided by our organization, including food support, are offered free of charge.

The majority of people who live with us at Tyne have experienced complex issues in their lives and often come to us after being excluded from other housing options due to their lifestyle, offending history or difficulties in managing finances. Most residents have experienced periods of homelessness or unstable housing and struggle with multiple social and health issues relating to addiction and mental wellbeing. We have over 360 bed-spaces made up of shared houses, specialist supported provisions, smaller shared flats and self-contained flats. Our housing model is always designed to focus on the individual's own personal needs, meeting them where they are, building a trusting relationship and working together in partnership to get to a better place. Our work is far-reaching and varied, we stand by and support people who many agencies struggle to engage with, focusing on building their strengths to help them take ownership of the challenges ahead. The unique range of services we provide means we’re constantly learning and evolving, ensuring we’re engaging with models and theories that truly work. The impact report produced this year is helping us to do just that, alongside providing us with the tools we need to measure our success going forward. Byker Bridge House is our emergency accommodation provision in Newcastle. It’s staffed 24/7 by a team of specialist housing and support workers and offers 31 short-term bed spaces to adults facing homelessness across the city. People who come to Byker Bridge House tend to be at crisis point and are referred to us from services such as prison, probation or hospital via Newcastle City Council’s Housing Advice Centre. Residents are often experiencing complex issues relating to drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues and anti-social behaviour. Byker Bridge House exists to provide people with safety and security with a roof over their heads and access to food and drink, warmth and rest.