World Homeless Day 2024

This week we are joining people around the world this week to mark World Homeless Day on Thursday, 10 October through a series of special events aimed at raising awareness of the issues surrounding homelessness.

As a charity, we support those struggling with the causes and effects of homelessness and trauma by extending compassionate and practical support to vulnerable members of the community, including those impacted by homelessness, addiction and domestic abuse through a range of services including soup kitchens, support groups, counselling and practical projects designed to provide both immediate relief and long-term solutions, with the ambition of providing a ‘hand up’, not just a ‘hand out’.

As part of this week, we are relaunching our dedicated men’s and women’s support groups with new names and branding which better reflect what the groups represent, as chosen by the attendees of both groups and designed by local marketing and communications agency, Palmer Hargreaves. These weekly support groups offer a safe space for members, many of whom have experienced homelessness, to connect with others and share their experiences.

Akeeva is the new women’s support group and means to protect and shelter, with each letter representing the words ‘acceptance’, ‘kindness’, ‘empowerment’, ‘empathy’, ‘values’ and ‘achievement’- core principles which underpin the ethos of the group.

Jo Merrick, our Operations Manager, and who leads this group said: “This new name really symbolises what the women’s group stands for and I’m delighted our members have chosen a name that means something to them. Through the group, we hope to empower the women who come to us to make positive change, while equipping them with the support and tools to achieve this and prepare for brighter futures. A huge thanks to Palmer Hargreaves for developing this new branding which our clients love.”

Those who attend the men’s support group decided on the new name of ‘Daniel’s Rise’ as the story of Daniel and the lion’s den is one of the most iconic and inspiring stories in the Bible. The men also chose the words ‘strength’, ‘resilience’ and ‘hope’ to highlight the qualities of both Daniel and the men that attend the group.

Our Support Worker, Kevin Thornton, who runs the group commented: “Like all of the men who attend this group, Daniel was known for his bravery after surviving being thrown into the lion’s den. Many of the men who come to us have experienced their own ‘lion’s den’ including homelessness and addiction, but have risen up, overcome their ‘lions’ and inspired others along the way.” 

Simon Tierney, Managing Director of Palmer Hargreaves said: “As a local company, working with Helping Hands for the last two years, we are really pleased to have played a part in the relaunch of the men’s and women’s support groups. It was great to receive a brief that had been developed by the group members, some of whom we know through volunteering with the charity’s Soup Kitchen. The corporate partnership we share with Helping Hands is one that our team gain a huge amount from and it’s good to know that we can offer skills and expertise in return.”

We will be sharing updates throughout this week – keep an eye on our social media channels if you would like to join in the conversation and help make a difference: @helpinghandscommunityproject.