Job Vacancies at the Passage

Housing Justice is pleased to advertise these two jobs based at The Passage, for projects relating to our work:


The Passage is recruiting for two new roles: Faith Groups Coordinator and a Street Outreach Worker

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) recognises the positive role Faith based organisations play in preventing and tackling homelessness and believes more could be done to further effective partnership working between Faith group providers and local authorities in this work. CLG, working in conjunction with Southwark Council, have therefore commissioned The Passage (a faith based provider of day and residential services to homeless people) to explore what positive steps could be taken towards this aim and have funding for one year for the two posts below.

A Faith Groups Coordinator (circa £40,000) – Fixed Term for 1 year
This post will work with statutory and voluntary Faith based groups, in particular day centres, to produce an action plan to assist greater partnership working in preventing and tackling homelessness, and also assist Housing Justice with their Winter Shelter programme and link in with the Olympics More than Gold initiative.
Candidates should have a proven track record of working at a strategic level with Faith based and statutory agencies in the delivery of day centre and accommodation provision for homeless people, experience and knowledge of ensuring the needs of homeless people are prioritised in the planning of events such as the Olympics, and experience of producing good practice guidelines ensuring the continuation and long term sustainability of initiatives at a grass root level.

A Street Outreach Worker (circa £25,000) – Fixed term for 1 year
This post will seek to support the work Housing Justice and Crisis are carrying out in further engaging street soup run providers to examine practical ways of working in partnership to best meet the needs of rough sleepers, building on recommendations made by the LSE in their independent research carried out into this area of work.
Candidates should have a proven track record of working with both voluntary Faith based and statutory agencies in providing street outreach services to homeless people, excellent communication and organisational skills, a willingness to work unsociable hours (including weekends) and be able to demonstrate a genuine solution focused approach to tasks.

Both posts will have a pan-London focus and potential candidates should email their CVs and cover letter to recruitment@passage.org.uk by 12 noon on the Wednesday 27th October 2010 outlining how they have the relevant skills and experience required for these posts.
Interviews will be held on the 3rd November 2010.

This is my church as well!

One angry man who had shouted very rudely was escorted out of the meeting by Deano, one of our regulars. Neither have ever been to any meeting at King's apart from the Feast. Deano dresses him down (in his very gruff voice) "don't you ever come in here and speak like that, don't you ever come into my church and shout at them!"

The angry man replied, "This is my church as well"

And I laughed!

Well the blog is back, with a fresh look and with a wider view!

There will still be much about the Jericho Road Project but it will include much more as well. I will still post on Life in Catford, Christmas Trees and include job opportunities. But there might be more of my reflections on other issues such as news, sport, music, triathlon.

Well what has happened since the last blog?

I am due to have a knee operation on the 15th November - no excuse not to blog after that as I will be on crutches for weeks. Despite my knee being weak I am trying to get out on the bike as often as I can - I am limited in my walking and running is not an option - because I can and I guess it's strengthening the knee before the op.

Also Caring Christmas Trees website has gone live - www.caringchristmastrees.com please get ready to buy a tree, tell your friends and consider volunteering on one of the distribution days.

I moved house, there's enough material for a seperate blog entry there!

Plenty of stories of the Feast - we have even produced a short video and when I master the technology I will post it on the blog. Whilst I can't bear my voice on the clip there are some great bits, Kenny's dancing, Delores asking "What do you want to know?" and Deano's passionate talk.

This week we helped a family from the Feast to begin to clear their flat - perhaps a seperate blog entry story.

The blog is back!

CSJ Inner City Challenge

The following is taken directly from the CSJ monthly email.

CSJ staff take part in Inner City Challenges
Two members of CSJ staff took up Inner City Challenges last month. Kirsty Turnbull, Office Administrator, and Chris Perfect, Policy Researcher, both spent two days volunteering at exceptional grassroots poverty fighting organisations.
Kirsty Turnbull visited the Jericho Road Project in Catford, SE London, to work with a team dedicated to Lewisham's homeless. She volunteered in the outreach dinner, joining the charity's Director, Simon Allen, on a street walk to meet the homeless, and participated in the charity's group activities. "It was amazing," said Kirsty, "I'm now looking into charities I can volunteer at closer to home. The team and clients at the Jericho Road Project were inspirational."

Conference in Brighton

David Stroud spoke at this week's conference on "how are we doing in caring for the poor?". Here is a copy of the note found on Adrian Warnock's blog. Worth a read!

Why should you care?

I have written this for my guest spot on Steve Tibberts blog but thought I would post it here first.

You don’t expect me to stop and look after someone in need. I like other people to do the stuff, just don’t ask me. I find that needy people drain me of energy. I don’t have the patience.

Does this describe how you feel sometimes?

When was the last time you stopped and listened to someone? I mean ‘listened to their story’.

Jesus told a story about inviting someone to spend time with you knowing that they cannot repay you. This was not conditional love – i.e. if you can pay me back I will offer you help. But it is open handed expressions of care that Jesus encourages us to do. Jesus says if they invite you back you will be repaid. BUT if you reach out to the Poor, crippled, lame and blind you will be BLESSED.

No.1 Get to know people. The widow on your street, the teenager who doesn’t fit in at school or church, the mother tearing her hair out in despair at her struggle to parent, the addict who is fixated on the next bit of gear. I spoke with a homeless girl last week who had suffered a mental health breakdown whose story was so sad or the rough sleeper who has been given a 6 month suspension on his personal benefits. There is often not an easy answer but we can always listen to people’s story.

No.2 Be willing to lose your ‘self’– you may miss your favourite TV programme or feel out of your depth, have your own faith questioned – Can God really help this person? Walk in Faith, pray for the person, practically help them.

The Blessing maybe a delayed blessing (it may be immediate!) but God is always true to his word – in the end, in the Kingdom economy – it is totally worth helping those in need.

Do you want to be repaid or BLESSED?

Significant moments

There are significant moments that define a week, a month or even a year. Today was a defining moment that I may well look back on in years to come. We have submitted revised rent levels to residents and to the Housing Benefit department. The financial change may well mean that we are not losing money each year and will hopefully give us the springboard for future ministry development. We are only scratching the surface of the needs of the community around us. Come on let's take enemy ground - every day. Today it is for the 35 year old women who is sleeping rough in Woolwich but waiting for a place in our housing project. She is the victim of injustice but in Jesus Christ, justice is restored.

Bikeathon update
The number of riders has risen to 16 and the current total of supporters is 321 and rising. This is a great achievement, I wonder if we will reach 500 supporters??