Hays Watford - Clarendon Road

New Hope is a Watford-based charity working with people who are experiencing homelessness in the town. Our mission is to prevent homelessness and transform lives. For over 30 years, staff and volunteers at New Hope have been working with people in Watford who are experiencing homelessness. Through a variety of services, we walk alongside people every step of the way from street homelessness to independent living. We treat each person as an individual and support a wide range of beneficiaries, focusing on single adults. The people accessing our services are first and foremost people – people who for a variety of reasons have ended up street homeless in Watford. Our provision begins with our intervention services which build relationships and offer support to people who are street homeless, including an active street outreach service, help for people worried about eviction, a 24/7 helpline (0300 012 0168) and provision of food, showers, laundry etc.; our recovery services include accommodation for over 50 people and two schemes to help people gain confidence, improve wellbeing and gain skills, Cultivate (horticultural therapy) and HopeCollege; finally, our prevention services support people new to independent living so that they maintain their tenancies (TST) and our own affordable housing scheme, HopeHomes.

Our Watford Hostel is part of our network of accommodation across the area that provides temporary accommodation for up to 18 months. People become homeless for a host of reasons, and our specialist staff work with each resident to tackle issues that may be a barrier to moving forward. Our team signposts to local services like GPs, community mental health teams and CGL. Watford Hostel offers a safe space to stay, and a temporary solution until people get back on their feet. Our goal is to reduce street homelessness and help people make a better future. We offer a warm, safe environment for residents, and support to break the cycle of homelessness. Our service users are men and women over 18 and we can offer 150 supported beds in Charter Hostel, as well as 44 bed spaces for MCISS – our Medium Complex Intensive Support Scheme. MCISS is a project that delivers intensive levels of support to vulnerable rough sleepers in Watford. Our facility provides mental health and substance abuse support to vulnerable people with the goal of setting them on the pathway to recovery and more independent living. The hostel is easy to access and is well located near to the town centre. It’s within walking distance of three railway stations – Watford Junction, the Metropolitan Line and the Overground and there is easy access to both the M1 and M25, as well as access to numerous bus routes. Our hostel offers holistic support to residents in a safe, secure environment. Our specialist team works closely with our residents, allowing them to live independently and take steps to rebuild their lives. Our support includes: - General charitable purposes - Education/training - The prevention or relief of poverty - Accommodation/housing - Religious activities - Amateur sport - Economic/community development/employment - Recreation - People with disabilities - Mental health support - Substance misuse support - Other charities or voluntary bodies - The general public/mankind - Provides human resources - Provides buildings/facilities/open space - Provides services - Provides advocacy/advice/information - Acts as an umbrella or resource body - Other charitable activities

9 Lives furniture was established in 2003 with three aims - to help the most needy in society, those on benefits or experiencing financial hardship to buy quality furniture at affordable prices to turn their house into a warm and welcoming home; to help people with mental ill health or learning difficulties to gain new skills and gain confidence to take on new jobs or volunteer and help getting back into society; to reduce the amount of pre-loved furniture going into landfill. Operating from a shop and workshop in Rickmansworth we collect and take in pre-loved furniture and household items from local residents, where necessary renovate them in our workshop and sell them at a significant discount to people on benefits or referred to us from other charities and to the public to help fund the charity. In the workshop we run training for people with Mental Illness or learning difficulties to repair, renovate and up-cycle furniture giving them new skills with which to re-enter society, we also take on volunteers from this same group to work in the shop or on our collection/delivery van where they will learn interpersonal skills dealing with the public. Since our foundation we have helped over 15,000 families with furniture, trained over 500 students of which over 50 have gone on to full time employment and kept over 40,000 items of furniture from going into landfill. 9 Lives is a caring environment where students, volunteers and shoppers are made to feel welcome, included and cared for.