Lent 2023
Your acts of kindness are like pieces in God’s mosaic of hope in action around the Diocese
Hope in darkness Your support is providing practical help and kindness to people who are homeless in London, through the amazing work of Hope for Southall Street Homeless. As you walk into St John’s parish centre in Southall, directly opposite London’s largest Sikh temple, the smell of homecooked soup instantly fills your nostrils.
This is Hope for Southall Street Homeless (HSSH), a charity which is part-funded by the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal. Until the start of the pandemic, it ran a night shelter for up to 20 rough sleepers. Today, the focus is on providing food, friendship and life-changing care, and advice at a regular drop-in session. No options, little hope There are officially more than 8,000 rough sleepers in London, and Southall has a high concentration of homeless people from diverse backgrounds. Many have ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF), so they’re not entitled to any benefits. They’re people who arrived from places like India – sometimes looking for work, sometimes trafficked here – and all left
© HSSH
Jyoti Kujur, who’s been working with homeless people in this area for a decade, is standing over the stove, throwing vegetables from her allotment into an enormous pan. “We provide soup, sandwiches and samosas for homeless people every week,” she says. “But most importantly, we offer face-to-face help.”
Jyoti Kujur & Margarida Pires of HSSH preparing the hot food for the daily guests
with a stark choice when things didn’t work out: return to their home nation, if they can, or end up on the streets. It means the people who come to HSSH are among the most entrenched rough sleepers in London – often with nowhere left to turn. In from the cold As the guests (all men, including many who are elderly) start arriving, Jyoti and fellow HSSH worker Margarida Pires, busy themselves serving tea and coffee. They Continued on page 2
Contents 2 “People who are homeless are not forgotten” 3
Youth Ministry – A new generation NOW
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Evangelisation – Leadership roles in our parishes
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A place to grow in so many ways
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Seeds Hub – enabling people to work for a better future
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