Key facts
Area: North West
Grant recipient: Justlife Foundation Limited
Project: Justlife Health & Enterprise Centre
Programme: Reaching Communities
Date of award: September 2010
Amount awarded: £381,639
Following the break-up of a relationship, 41 year old recovering alcoholic Andrew Sydemham found himself homeless. “I moved out of my house and into a flat when my relationship broke up, but I was not very good managing my money, I didn’t have a job and struggled to make ends meet, so I ended up sleeping rough.”
He soon found himself drawn to Gransmoor Avenue, a notorious street with large Victorian terraced houses of multiple occupation, home to many vulnerable adults including many who are drug and alcohol dependant. Living here Andrew was not getting the support he needed, he had not been there long when someone told him about Justlife.
Justlife offers opportunity to access services such as health and social care, treatment and advice. The ‘work cafe’ provides help in all aspects of employment such as CVs, interviews and training. Andrew says, “My project worker Matt took just 3 hours to help me sort out my benefits and council tax – I had been trying to do it for months. I’m not very good on the phone and stutter a lot, but I’m getting better, more confident. I now have my own flat and am hoping to go to college soon.”
Justlife Managing Director and Social Entrepreneur Gary Bishop founded Justlife in 2008. He says, “People who come here are in poor mental or physical health, often living in poverty and vulnerable. They are usually homeless because of breakdown of relationships and they have a sense of isolation and loneliness.”
In September 2010, the centre secured Reaching Communities funding. Justlife is both a charity and a Community Investment Company and intends to not only become sustainable but also re-invest any profit back into the community. “The application process was challenging, but the BIG grants officer was approachable and more than happy to help us. I think BIG are more flexible than other funders. For example, we had to change the job description for our Centre Manager position, as things don’t always stay the same and BIG were understanding of this. We also didn’t get the budgeting right and BIG were realistic about this, as things do inevitably shift.”
In an average week, Justlife will see 75 visitors, re-house 5 people and provide 100 meals.