'Homeless must be supported' - Group 'stunned' by the number of people affected
SUPPORT for homeless people and those struggling with addiction may be expanded when Todmorden Together opens new premises.
Louise Castro, of Todmorden Together, said she had been stunned by the number of homeless people in Todmorden when she had opened her doors to them.
"When I was working with the Street Angels in Todmorden, in that really cold weather, I was approached by a homeless man, who was suffering from hypothermia. We wrapped him up in a space blanket and he started to tell me his story.
"Many of the homeless are just normal people who have just got in a mess or are struggling with substance misuse. I opened my door and a tsunami came through. I didn't realise how many people are out there because they're hidden.
"We do have some substance misuse services in Todmorden but we need more; we need a base for them here. People with a problem at the moment have to go to Hebden Bridge or Halifax."
As part of the government's Supporting People agenda Calderdale Council offer a pro-active housing related support service and by accessing Calderdale's services through Customer First Louise has been able to help people access housing and other support.
Local people and businesses, such as Cherries, have also helped by providing food for people who have come to Louise for support.
"When people knock on my door they have nowhere else to go. So we offer them the use of a telephone, access to resources and sometimes it's just a case of giving a bit of advice. Sometimes people just get into a mess and all they need is one piece of the jigsaw to fall into place and they can sort everything else out from there.
"Members of staff at Customer First have been brilliant; whatever needs doing they just get on with it. And they are the gateway into the council and benefits system."
Louise said the support for all the work that Todmorden Together does from elected members of the council makes a big difference but she reiterated the organisation's neutrality and said it was not a political football.
And the organisation's work, from Kidsfest to offering support to nearly 40 groups in the town, is gaining recognition from people outside Todmorden with people ringing up from far and wide to hear about their projects.
"When they ring up from Liverpool or London and find out how small Todmorden Together is they can't quite believe it.
"But it's the hard work of people like Salma Parveen, who started as a volunteer and now works for us part-time, and Abby Fairbank, who volunteers here as well as studying for her degree, that makes it work," added Louise.
Todmorden Together is planning a move into the former Conservative club on Rochdale Road and hopes to create a community resource centre with a number of different organisations all under the same roof.
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Wednesday 30 May 2012
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