“We believe that everyone has a right to a home. We believe that people should be given the opportunity to develop the skills they need to lead a fulfilling life. We believe that everyone deserves not just a second chance, or a third chance, but as many chances as they need to change their lives for the better.”

Who We Are

We are a Hampshire-based homelessness charity, providing accommodation and support to over 1000 people at any given time.

The people that we work with often have diverse and complex issues surrounding homelessness, including substance/alcohol addiction and mental health problems.
Our range of services includes supported housing for homeless people, drug services throughout Hampshire, Jamie’s Computers (social enterprise), and a specialist residential care home.

At the Society of St James, we believe that everyone has a right to a home. We believe that people should be given the opportunity to develop the skills they need to lead a fulfilling life. We believe that everyone deserves not just a second chance, or a third chance, but as many chances as they need to change their lives for the better.

Our History

The Society of St James was established in 1972, when the closure of a municipal lodging house in Southampton led to a crisis in homelessness on the streets of the city. Local churches opened a shelter in the derelict St James’ Church Hall (which is where our name comes from).

In those early days, the shelter was fairly basic – each resident had just a bed, a chair alongside it, and a nail in the wall so that they could hang up their clothes. The volunteers would open the doors each evening, provide a simple meal for the residents, and then leave, locking the doors behind them until they returned the following morning to let the residents out.

“We have come a long way since then. But one thing hasn’t changed – our commitment to giving homeless people and those at risk of homelessness the chance to build a better future.”