St Wilfrid’s, a centre for the homeless, vulnerable and socially-excluded, has recently announced plans to build a 50-bed residential unit. The land, donated by the Diocese of Hallam, is nearby on Queens Road. The project needs £1.8m and a fundraising campaign has begun. Supporters so far include local MPs; Paul Blomfield, David Blunkett, Nick Clegg and Clive Betts; and Council leader, Julie Dore.
St Wilfrid’s offers an invaluable service – the number of people declared homeless in Sheffield rose by 38% in 2011. Many people become homeless because of mental health problems but these needs are often ignored with focus on other factors: money, jobs, benefits, work pressure and domestic disputes. Just finding a home for someone may not be enough. For example, a vulnerable tenant could feel overwhelmed, causing them to run away, perpetuating the problem of homelessness. St Wilfrid’s helps break this cycle by providing support to achieve independence.
Kevin Bradley, Director of St Wilfrid’s, said ‘It would be fantastic if we could get the people of Heeley involved in our fundraising campaign in what will be a flagship project for the city of Sheffield.’
Donations are welcome by cheques made payable to ‘St Wilfrid’s Residential’, posted to St Wilfrid’s Centre, 524 Queens Road, Sheffield S2 4DT. Or support Heeley resident, Andy Kershaw (Radio Sheffield), who will be cycling across Scotland in May to raise funds: see his ‘Justgiving’ page for donations: http://www.justgiving.com/andykershaw01. Contact details for St Wilfrid’s Centre: tel 255 5720, email stwilfs@btconnect.com,
web: http://www.stwilfridscentre.org
IT'S HAPPENING IN HEELEY! 
Posted on March 28, 2012 by aphrakitee
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