To mark World Homeless Day on October 10, the Reading Chronicle, in conjunction with Launchpad, are bringing you stories each day from those whose lives in the town have been touched by homelessness

STEVEN* is in his late 20s and lived with his grandparents in Reading. From the age of 10 he was smoking cannabis.

By 15 he was addicted to cocaine and heroin. He shoplifted to pay for them and progressed to selling drugs to fund his own addiction. Steven first went to prison aged 18 and the cycle of prison, release, dealing drugs to pay for his drugs, prison, release began. He’s been in and out of prison six times.

In September 2013 Launchpad started to work with Steven. He’d already got himself off drugs.

Launchpad supported Steven and helped him gain a much needed structure to his life.

Steven continues to access Launchpad support including working with Karen our ETE (Education, Training and Employment) Co-ordinator. He’s hoping to set up his own business!

Steven has two children, but he’s missed out on a lot of his eldest son’s life. He felt under pressure to buy him the latest gadgets, take him to Disneyland and on holidays abroad - which meant he kept selling drugs and ending up back in prison.

A big part of Steven getting his life back on track has been realising that his children need him and the things that money can’t buy; having them to stay every weekend, trips to the playground and his time.

Pretty much every day Steven struggles with the temptation of returning to drugs, but being there for his children keeps him going. He says ‘Launchpad have helped open doors for me and I’ve found as one door opens, then another one opens and then another one.’

* To help protect the privacy of those we help names have been changed. The picture on the website is posed by a model.

Launchpad’s housing with support service

More than just a place to live

Launchpad’s clean and safe housing combined with individual, targeted support is the most effective way to get people back on track and making a positive contribution to Reading’s community.

Support is usually for up to two years and Launchpad can house 116 people at any one time.

How well would you cope without a safe, clean place to live?

Launchpad assist people who don’t have somewhere to call home. It’s the first step towards people living positive lives and supporting themselves. There are lots of reasons why people end up needing our support and many reasons for homelessness.

For the people Launchpad help, support is a lifeline. The day they move in can be a turning point.

Once a client has a steady home, it’s easier to provide regular and effective treatment and preventative care for mental health, alcohol and substance misuse issues. Stable accommodation helps break the cycle of reoffending.

And Launchpad’s professional support helps tackle deep-rooted issues that have prevented clients from moving forward in life.

Essentials covered, with space to grow

People are referred to Launchpad’s Supported Housing team after being assessed by Reading Borough Council’s Housing Advice Service. Depending on their situation, they will enter the stage of the Homelessness that is right for them.

Every client at Launchpad is allocated a support worker who collaborates with them to create a support plan. This support plan will help the client to achieve their goals and manage any ongoing risks and needs in their lives.

Launchpad work closely with other agencies and community groups such as the Probation Service and iRiS to make sure residents are given wrap-around support and opportunities to make positive changes.

To begin with, every Launchpad client gets their own room, usually in a shared house. As they make progress and demonstrate independence, we give people the chance to move into a self-contained bedsit or flat.

Launchpad doesn’t want supported housing to be forever. And neither do their clients. They are keen to make ends meet and live independently. It’s a daunting journey, but moving into Launchpad housing can be a crucial first step.

Having somewhere to live isn’t enough. It’s not enough to lead a positive life. It’s not enough to stay happy. And for Launchpad’s clients, it doesn’t deal with the underlying problems they face.

A stable home, targeted support

Nobody expects to need supported housing. But there are many reasons people come to Launchpad for help. The end of a marriage, a lack of people to turn to, an unexpected job loss … the challenges are numerous and diverse.

Housing with is a winning combination for Launchpad’s clients. It means a safe, secure place to live, plus targeted support and assistance to help overcome personal challenges:

  • Fundamental life skills; overcoming alcohol and drug misuse, gaining numeracy and literacy, IT skills, job seeking, managing mental health issues, stopping repeat offending. These are key skills for clients to be able to move on from Launchpad.
  • Complementary life skills; art, our allotment, fishing and bee keeping – these activities don’t sound like typical support but help our clients gain valuable life skills including self-respect and confidence.

It’s the combination of four walls with targeted support that makes Launchpad’s service so successful. They introduce stability into clients’ lives without expecting them to cope alone.

Many Launchpad clients go on to develop key life skills and are soon able to live independently.

Others require longer-term guidance and assistance in a supported housing environment. With structure, consistency and non-judgemental support from people who understand the hurdles clients face, we give them the best chance to turn things around.

So what’s PIE got to do with housing with support?

PIE stands for Psychologically Informed Environment and it helps people take control of their lives and develop their ability to be part of a community.

Launchpad have worked with five of their longer-term more challenging clients who live together in a small block of flats.

The first step was to talk to the clients about their surroundings; the flats they live in, the hallway and the front garden.

Our first question was how would they like it to look? There were lots of ideas, so Launchpad sat down with the residents and showed them a whole range of colours.

Interestingly, they chose colours that are part of PIE, soothing quiet colours.

The small block of flats not only looks different, it is quiet and calm. It’s clean and looked after by our tenants.

They now have a rota for taking the bins out and for sweeping the hall. These sound like small things, but represent immense steps forward.

Every Friday they cook and eat a meal together. So far they’ve made a minced beef stew, chicken and chorizo pasta and a risotto. There will be hiccups and disappointments, but as a group and as individuals they are looking forward. For the first time in ages they have hope and a sense of possibility.

Launchpad hopes their PIE clients feel more comfortable and safe – the best conditions for them to get physically and psychologically stronger.

Just one day

The work Launchpad do in the town is vital.

Help Launchpad prevent homelessness in Reading and get involved this World Homeless Day Monday 10 October… it’s just one day.

Can you support Launchpad this World Homeless Day, individually or with your school, community group or business?

Here are a few ideas:

  • Give up your lunch money: Have a basic lunch or no lunch. And donate the usual lunch money to Launchpad, just for one day.
  • #FirstFiver: Why not do something good with the first new plastic £5 note you receive and donate it to Launchpad.
  • When I grow up….dress up day: Ask everyone to come in dressed as the person or profession they want to or wanted to be when they were little. Charge your astronauts, football stars and vets for the privilege of living their dream. Nobody grows up wanting to become homeless.
  • Bake a house Organise a baking competition: Cook up a tasty gingerbread house that can be sampled for a donation, helping to get people to stop and think about why everyone needs a safe place to call home.
  • Socks in a box: Organise a collection of essential items to help the homeless and vulnerable: Ask everyone to put a (pair of) socks in a box for distribution at the Reading Severe Weather Emergency Project.
  • Say yes we ‘can’: Invite your friends to donate a can or packet of non-perishable food or top up the Launchpad toiletry cupboard with a toothbrush and shower gel amnesty. A collection of items makes people pause to consider life without such necessities.
  • Text donate on the day: LWHD16 £10 to 70070 to donate to Launchpad Reading and make a difference on World Homeless Day.

Launchpad is a charity that helps some of Reading’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people to turn their lives around and fulfil their potential.

They began by running a soup kitchen 35 years ago and were known as Reading Single Homeless Project until 2011. Today, they’re called Launchpad Reading.

Based in bright premises right in central Reading, they work to provide accommodation, support, education and counselling to people in the town who need their help.

To find out more, log onto: www.launchpadreading.org.uk/