Hopefully, you will be  inspired to join Team SSJ at the Great South Run 2013… and if not, maybe sponsor one of our team for putting themselves through such a physical challenge on our behalf!

Last month we brought you Lizi’s Story.  So, here is the second of our posts about the experiences our runner’s enjoyed (endured?) from last year.

Andy, SSJ’s Director of Finance and Central Services, shares his reasons for running, his training plan, his experience of the day and some useful tips for you, if you’re thinking of joining us this year…

My Great South Run

I made New Year’s resolutions to lose some weight and raise £1000 for St James. I then needed to search for some inspiration with regards to how to achieve it. The Great South Run looked like it could meet both targets as well as providing a real challenge as I’d never run any distance before (thus improving my chances of raising money, I thought).

To start my training I decided to test myself out and see if how long it would take me to run 5km (3.1miles). I jogged the distance in about 32 minutes, without killing myself, which led me to believe I had a chance of getting somewhere. My initial plan was to reduce my 5km time down to improve my general fitness before building up the distance. I got some advice from friends and family who are ‘into’ running as well as undertaking some research about how far to run and when. I gradually extended my training runs with the aim of getting to 8 miles a couple of weeks prior to the Great South Run. I never quite made it to 8 but got passed 7.5 miles feeling OK, a week or so before. I then ticked over with a few 25 minutes 5k runs so that when I did the 10 miles of the Great South Run at 30 minutes per 5km, the pace it would ‘feel like a rest’ rather than pushing myself.

Race day was a little chilly but the rain held off and thankfully there was no ‘howling westerly’ to mark the final 2 miles. The crowds were fantastic and it was the first time I really understood what people say about gaining energy from the supporters. The thousands of ‘random’ people just cheering us all along from the kids giving out “high fives”, through to the drummers and dancers and to the people standing out of the front of their houses at the far corner of Eastney; they were all fantastic – I don’t think I could have run the distance without all that support. I started off at a steady pace and really stuck with that pace the whole time.  It worked well and after about half the distance my legs felt like they were almost in a ‘robotic mode’ which actually helped and felt quite natural.

The only real struggle was coming through the 6/7 mile area where you can see, and hear, the finish but knowing you’ve still got a way to go. However, the Powerade stand was excellently placed, as were the jelly beans, just around Eastney point – they really worked wonders for the last couple of miles! The finish was bizarre: it was great to get across the line but I found my legs just didn’t want to stop and I almost had to shove people out the way who were stopping, as I felt that if I did I might fall over! A warm down walk to meet family at the Cenotaph certainly helped but not even that could stop the stiffness that caught up with me later in the day. It took the best part of a week for my legs to feel entirely like mine again but the sense of achievement from having done it was great and meeting my fundraising target made me feel so proud.

I was (and still am) a novice runner so can only really speak from this point of view with regards to doing it (again). I’d certainly say it’s a challenge for anyone – either to beat your time or just to complete it – it’s such a great feeling as you go around and feels like you’ve really achieved something at the end. The crowds are just brilliant; really making it an enjoyable experience – I’d certainly recommend this run over the local runs that running clubs do as I know they don’t attract anything like the crowds. The Great South Run is also a very flat course which is much better for me as hills really don’t agree with me! A word of warning though, you need to take it seriously as I don’t think a ‘non runner’ however fit you might think you are, would just be able to run around.  You really need to plan how you’re going to do it and make sure you’ve done a couple of decent length runs prior to the day just to give you that confidence that you can do it and to make sure you have a plan to get around.

My best tip? Don’t set out too fast, so many people sprinted away from the start only to be walking after a few hundred metres, a steady pace the whole way has got to be the best way forward. But yeah, give The Great South Run a go, it’s short enough to be manageable but long enough to be a challenge and a big enough event to give you a real buzz.

If Andy’s story has inspired you to undertake this challenge later on in the year, then please follow the links to sign up for one of our Charity Places or pledge your sponsorship to SSJ. http://www.ssj.org.uk/bupa-great-south-run/

When Naomi from the Southampton University Air Squadron (SUAS) first approached us about wanting to run a sleepout with the Squadron, she was concerned about the date.
“Don’t you worry about that,” we said. “Hold your event when suits you best, it’ll stall be part of our ONE BIG Sleepout.

That is precisely what she did. In order to capture people around exams, university holidays, squadron event, and such like, she plumped for April 17th.

She got in touch to let me know how it had gone for them:

Dee! Hope you are well Our big sleep out was great fun and we had some very impressive cardboard boxes! We had 20 people brave the weather so not as many as hoped but not too bad! I set a minimum sponsorship of £20 so when I’ve collected everything we will have raised at least £400 for your brilliant cause.

Thank you SUAS for your hard work.

SUAS have nominated us as one of their charities for 2013 so we are very much looking forward to seeing what other activities they come up with to raise funds. What a lovely bunch eh?

You can add to their fundraising total here: http://www.bmycharity.com/suasbigsleepout

Next year, our ONE BIG Sleepout events will be pinned to a month rather than to a date, to make it a more accessible event to all.

Why were we doing it? The Great South Run of course, the world’s premier 10 mile road race and a brilliant opportunity to raise funds for SSJ. Over the next few weeks we’ve invited a few of our runners to share their Great South Run stories with you – from what inspired them to sign up, to their training and their experience of the race itself. And who knows, maybe you will be just a little bit inspired to join Team SSJ at the Great South Run 2013…

Today we’re going to start with the first person to sign up last year – Lizi, SSJ’s ex-Management Accountant (and Fixer of All Broken Spreadsheets).

I started running in January 2011, having never run before and properly over-indulged over Christmas. Laura from the NHS Couch to 5k podcasts was my trainer and got me out of bed on cold dark mornings to plod around the block when no-one could see me hot, sweaty and unable to breathe! I’d love to say that I’ve never looked back and that running 10 miles was a breeze, but I’m not a born runner and it’s taken perseverance.

What’s kept me lacing up my trainers is my best friend and the fact that I can never refuse a challenge.

I didn’t manage to complete my first 5k Race for Life without walking, but I kept going and thought a bigger challenge would be just the thing. If I signed up for a race, pledged to raise money for charity and then convinced my best friend, my boss and a whole crowd of other people to join me I would have to work hard to improve my running.

The Great South Run seemed perfect, 10 miles is less daunting than the 13.1 of a half marathon but is more impressive than a 10k, Portsmouth is easy to get to and best of all, it’s pretty much entirely flat!

Fitting in training around an already busy schedule, then starting a new job and going on holiday wasn’t easy and I didn’t manage as much as I’d hoped (although running while I was on holiday and everyone else was asleep was pretty special).

But once I accepted that I wasn’t going to be the fastest, and remembered that I was raising money for an excellent cause who wouldn’t mind if I was first or last, I kept going with the training I could fit in, and built my mileage each week with a challenging long run. I got to know Southampton Common very well in the last few weeks!

Getting on the train to Portsmouth with thousands of other runners was great, but made me more nervous: could I do it? Had I eaten enough? Had I drunk too much water? What was I thinking wearing sparkly leg warmers?!

Of the race itself, I remember being cold, then hot; getting a stitch in the first 3 miles and being terrified I wouldn’t be able to keep going; being overtaken by a tiger; getting to mile 5 and realising the stitch was gone; overtaking the same tiger; high-fiving children who had some out to support us; jelly babies at mile 9; seeing the finish and having to sprint to make sure I finished before the tiger!

To anyone thinking of entering this year: do it! You never regret going for a run, and I’ll see you at the start line!

Are you up for the challenge of joining team SSJ for this year’s Great South Run on Sunday 27th October? You can sign up for one of our charity places (£40 registration fee and minimum sponsorship of £100) or book your own place and raise what you can.

In a week we will be waving our brave trekkers off the the Indian Himalayas to trek for us, to work at a homelessness project run by and NGO in Delhi, and to raise valuable funds for our work here in the UK.

Each of our trekkers has had to raise at least £1500 for us, as well as covering their trip costs (a further £1500), paying for their Indian visa, their air taxes, their vaccinations, their trekking kit … all told, they have shown a huge financial commitment!
Not only that, but they have each spent the last 14-15 weeks in training for this challenge. At the final stages now, they are all walking for 8 hours at a time, twice a week, and adding in two 1 hours walks where possible. On top of that they are doing some circuit training to prepare the specific muscle groups that will be challenged as they trek through the mountains for four days. The time commitment, around personal lives, family, full/part-time work, had been immense.

This is all before these lovely people have given us 10 days of their lives. Taken 10 days away from their families and friends, used some precious annual leave, all to benefit those most vulnerable to homelessness in Hampshire.

We’d be lying if we pretended it was all sacrificial and altruistic. Naturally, the trek promises to be the trip of a lifetime.  the culture shock of Delhi, the ‘experience’ that is the overnight train, the stunning views, truly authentic Indian food, wild camping in true connection with nature. Yes, there is certainly a lot in it for our trekkers. But that doesn’t remove the challenges does it? Neither does it belittle the sacrifices they have made and the dedication that they’ve shown to supporting us.

Here’s what one of our trekkers has to say about the process:

Fundraising
I raised my funds through a variety of different methods. I had a number of cake sales and I made Easter baskets and Christmas hampers. I also made boxes of chocolate truffles for donations from members of the office.

I organised two big events which were the money makers, a Charity Bollywood Party to tie in with the trek and a Christmas Business Breakfast. Both were a great success earning in excess of £2,000 in total.

Getting to my fundraising target was great fun, but very hard work. Managing that was like having a part-time job in itself, but well worthwhile. I have raised every last penny of my target through sponsorship, which I am very proud of.

Training
I find it fairly hard to balance a training schedule with my full-on workload. I have been training at the gym and have taken part in the group outdoor treks around Southampton and Dorset. I am planning one final weekend of trekking on the South Downs before we head out to India, as I have to break in my new boots!

Visa
Applying for the Indian visa was an interesting process. You have to be fairly well organised, collating all the necessary documents/evidence mentioned on several different checklists, but it (thankfully) came back approved, so I’m all set.

The Challenge
I absolutely cannot wait for the trek. I am a little nervous about spending time (and sharing a tent/room) with people I don’t really know, but it’s all part of the fun.

Looking at pictures online, I am sure that the scenery (when we get to the highest point!) will be stunning. I am equally excited about the time we will spend in Delhi. I am sure there will be things I will see/do that will be difficult, but I often think that you have to put yourself out of your comfort zone to truly appreciate your own limits. I just want to go now….

At the end of last month we were privileged to be invited to attend an ex-Saints Q&A and quiz evening as guests, because the Ex-Saints wanted to make a cheque presentation to us. We decided that, as well as representing the fundraising department at the event, it would be useful to have some front-line staff and people who live in one of our projects in attendance to receive the donation.

Ex-Saints are a group of ex-professional footballers (Southampton FC) who’ve set up a charitable organisation with the intention of raising funds to support causes local to the Southampton area.

Lee Peck compered the evening, with good humour and a great deal of banter. During the interval, Matthew Le Tissier officially presented us with the cheque, though we had already had the photo call for the Echo by that point.
The fundraising office uses presentation cheques to adorn the walls, it keeps the team buoyant and focused and reminds them that their hard work does make a difference. I was delighted when the ex-players offered to sign the cheque for us too, though I was probably more excited to have it signed by Olympic Diver, Pete Waterfield.
Once we were in receipt of both the presentation cheque and the bankable cheque, we had the opportunity to mingle with the group. I  asked one of the ex-players why they had chosen to donate to the Society of St James in particular on this occasion. Apparently, we were selected to receive the £2000 contribution to our work at a board meeting in the winter. It’s not uncommon for people to think more about homeless people and those vulnerable to homelessness as the coldest, darkest, bleakest season approaches, and we like to build on that heightened awareness by demonstrating the difficulties people face irrespective of the weather.

The money always makes a difference to our clients because funds like this allow the Society of St James to offer services that are over and above what is required of us. We are a responsive charity and we provide projects and services that meet the very specific needs of the people we support.
However, the more valuable difference that the evening made was to the three men who live in one of our projects. Ashley, one of our substance misuse workers, told the men, “I thought this would be a useful part of your recovery.” Later, on the journey home, Ashley said to me, “It’s important for them to go out and be treated ‘normally’.”

Jason, one of our three client guests, said,

 It was great to do something normal for an evening. I really enjoyed myself and I was still buzzing the next day.

Another of our guests said,

It was great doing something different, rather than going out, using drugs and behaving badly. I really enjoyed it.

We’re very much looking forward to building upon this new relationship and, as a result of the chair discovering the difference the evening made to our special guests, are currently exploring the ways that we can work together in a more tangible way.

Restaurants raise £17,000 for Hampshire homelessness charity through StreetSmart

13 Hampshire pubs, restaurants and hotels have raised £11,228 for local homelessness charity, the Society of St James, by participating in a two month StreetSmart campaign. This was topped up to £17,000 by government match funding.

StreetSmart is a national campaign which raises money for homelessness charities by asking restaurateurs to add a voluntary £1 donation to each table bill throughout November and December. In support of the 2012 campaign, the government then matched the funds raised in December, raising StreetSmart Hampshire’s total from £11,228 to £17,000.

Dee Russell

Dee Russell, Corporate and Community Fundraiser for the Society of St James brought the StreetSmart campaign to Hampshire to raise much needed funds to help homeless people in the county. Dee said:

“The success of the 2012 campaign in our county was unprecedented. The commitment shown by Hampshire’s restaurateurs, waiting staff and guests is behind the tremendous success of the StreetSmart campaign. Just £30 pays for a homeless person to have a night’s stay and three meals in a hostel, so it’s easy to see how a £1 donation at the end of a meal out can go a long way at the Society of St James.” Dee added: “Economically, the cuts to funding for our services are meaning that we are coming to rely more heavily on corporate and community involvement to continue to support vulnerable people back into community life.”

Participating StreetSmart Hampshire restaurants, pubs and hotels included The Chesil Rectory, Lainston House and The Old Vine in Winchester; The Purefoy Arms in Preston Candover; The Bakers Arms in Droxford; Lime Wood Hotel, Terra Vina and Chewton Glen in the New Forest; The Three Tuns in Romsey; The Plough Inn at Longparish; Greens in Wickham; Four Seasons Hampshire near Hook and The Chestnut Horse at Easton.

The Chesil Rectory

Thank You

Without the support of Hampshire based Restaurants, Pubs, and Hotels, not one penny of this funding would be available to us.

You have invested in a bigger picture. Your investment has a huge impact in reaching out to people who need support in transforming their lives.
That one word, “Yes” when you were invited to join the campaign, that one little word makes this work possible.

We wish to extend our thanks beyond our participating venues, to the wider community by thanking StreetSmart diners. Again, that simple “£1” at the end of your meal, almost insignificant in itself, joins the 16,999 other £1s to enable real change to happen right on your doorstep.

Restaurants, pubs and hotels keen to sign up to the 2013 StreetSmart Hampshire campaign, or find out more about getting involved, should contact Dee Russell on dee.russell@ssj.org.uk or 023 8063 2524. Find out more about how the Society of St James supports homeless and vulnerable people to transform their lives at www.ssj.org.uk. www.streetsmart.org.uk

Businesses large and small choose to fulfil their corporate social responsibilities in a variety of ways. One of the first ways we will often engage with a large company is when a local branch is seeking to do some hands-on volunteering and team building.

We believe that these corporate relationships must be mutually beneficial. It’s clear that  many large companies take their CSR very seriously. They genuinely want to contribute to the local communities in which they are based, and seek to find the best ways in which to do so.
As a homelessness charity and housing association, we do have a good deal of property to maintain and can very often put volunteers like these to good use.
What we aim for the volunteers to get out of the day themselves is a day out of the office doing something that they would not ordinarily do, coming alongside some of our staff and residents, and discovering a good deal more about the support we offer as a charity.

When Philip from Virgin Media got in touch with us offering a team of 12 volunteers, as well as a significant contribution towards decorating materials, for a day we were delighted to accommodate them.

Corporate Volunteering days with SSJ take the following format:
Our building maintenance officer, Roger Northey, makes a concerted effort to meet the team, and our contractor, at the designated property in the morning and introduces everyone. He takes some ‘before’ photos and leaves everyone to get started. Jamie, our contractor, looks after the team, ensures that everyone knows what they are doing, and finishes up anything that cannot be completed on the team-building day. Generally Jamie will take some photos throughout the day, and Roger will feedback to the team after the event.

All told, a good time is had by all.
On this occasion Virgin Media got to DO SOMETHING wonderful for a local charity, the volunteers had a day out of the office and the opportunity to find out more about a charity on their doorstep, we saved valuable time and money on painting and decorating, and – most importantly, our residents benefit from living in well maintained, beautifully decorated properties that look like home.

Who could ask for more from one corporate volunteering day?

To book your own corporate volunteering day please contact Roger Northey: roger.northey@ssj.org.uk

Home is …

There was method in my madness. Our Christmas appeal centred around the concept of making a home at Christmas, and our work is about offering people hope for the future, security in their lives, their homes, and occupations. In fact, our whole ethos as a charity is about believing in each individual’s future, even when they can’t believe in a better future for themselves.

This year we are going to focus our communications from the fundraising department around the idea of ‘Home for Life’. We have never been a charity whose primary concern is putting a roof over someone’s head. We have always believed that this is simply the first step to providing the necessary level of stability to enable every client to have the freedom to explore and challenge the problems that lead to their homelessness or vulnerable/unstable accommodation.

Would you like to know the types of responses we got to completing the sentence; Home is …?

• Not the way it looks, but the way it feels. Ease & comfort.
• Erm… heating?
• Where you can dig around in the fridge and not feel rude.
• Somewhere not pristine ;-D
• Where I can be me.
• Laughter.
• I wouldn’t know. I don’t think we’ve ever felt we had a home … It is odd, I’ve always felt at home at my Aunt’s though. Think it’s the atmosphere.
• I think having things that are special to you make it a home (pictures, etc).
• A 60″ 3D TV & a Smeg fridge, obvs. Only kidding. It can only be the people & the objects which remind you of them, right?
• Somewhere where there are cooking smells of home cooked food or baking.
• Warm, comfortable, safe.
• A cat, or furry creature. Plus personal mementos, cos am sentimental like that.
• A dog and a cat. Or several.
• A home is somewhere comfortable and safe, where I can be with my family.
• The people living in it
• Continuity/safety.
• The family atmosphere, all meals together at the table, lots of photos up, play games together rather than watch TV.
• I’ve moved a lot, 14th house, and it’s my books, bedding and when it smells like home.
• Special people/things.

 

In short, it would appear that it’s the inhabitants (be they person, people, or people and pets), the sentimental memories attached to objects, or smells, and the intangible aspects that characterise our view on what makes the difference between house and home.

What we are seeking to achieve this year is to encourage our supporters to consider small, regular contributions towards assisting our clients with feeling at home in both their accommodation and, moreover, in their lives.

If you would like to give regularly to SSJ by standing order, then please complete this form and send it back to us. We appreciate all standing order donations, whether big or small; whatever you feel able to give will help us to make the difference between what a house and a ‘Home is …’

When an email drops into your work inbox and the subject line reads: A Christmas Miracle, you know it’s going to be a good day.

Remember us telling you about the delightful children in Year 4 (8-9 year olds) at Locks Heath Junior School here?

Lovingly wrapped gifts for our Service Users.

There is no way that the staff or pupils or parents of the school could possibly have anticipated the difference their gift could make. Fortunately for us, we are a close bunch at the Society of St James and good news travels fast.

Shortly prior to Christmas, Mark, one of our substance misuse support workers, was meeting with a client (let’s call him Mr X), an active heavy drinker who has abstained and relapsed on several occasions previously. Mr X is a 46 year old man who’s struggled with alcohol dependency for over 20 years. He has a history of mental health problems, and of physical illness associated with his alcoholism including many emergency admissions to hospital as a result of abstinence from alcohol without the correct medication to support his body through this. Mark has been working with Mr X for 12 months, and met a very tearful, struggling man, feeling the pressures of life and his addiction to alcohol, who had discarded his plans to visit family because of how he was feeling in late December. During the visit, Mark was able to hand over one of the lovingly wrapped gifts from Locks Heath Junior School. Mr X opened the gift, a much needed pair of gloves and some chocolates and was quite overcome. However, it was the home made card with the note inside that really hit him hard. According to Mark, Mr X said, “If I can’t give up for myself, I have to do it for this little girl.”

He made a commitment to abstain from using alcohol, and resumed his plans to spend Christmas reconnecting with family. He has a very long road ahead of him, but everybody battling addiction has a turning point and for this man, the act of kindness of this young stranger was enough to break him, in a really positive way. If that’s not a Christmas Miracle, I fail to see what is.

Today (9 January 2013) Mark updated me to say that Mr X did visit family over Christmas, that he moderated his drinking over that period, and that he has now committed to working with the Alcohol team 4 days a week for the next month to begin tackling his problems. Mark added that, owing to family being sparse, and the breakdown of some relationships due to the alcoholism, Mr X hadn’t really had a reason to give up drinking before he received this gift and card from a stranger.

We are looking forward to visiting the school in due course to demonstrate to the children (and staff) just how much of an impact their act of kindness has made in transforming this one man’s life, to show them that they helped to make a little Christmas miracle happen.

Thank you Locks Heath Junior School.

The Little Saint Nick

It’s the day before Christmas and we simply have to share this story, so reminiscent of the original tale of the little Saint Nick (as the song goes), or of St Nicholas, if you prefer.

So many people say that Christmas is about the children, which, whilst I understand and accept the sentiment, I don’t agree with. I believe that, irrespective of your faith, if you experience the season of yuletide, Christmas, in the UK, what it’s really all about is togetherness. Being with people you love and who love you. That is why it can be so very isolating to those people on the fringes of our communities, those who are vulnerable and marginalised because of their battles.

One thing that children and adults are agreed on though, is the significance of the old tale of St Nicholas who is rumoured to have dropped secret gifts into shoes, socks, and down chimneys, for those in need.

Surely that was what inspired the Year 4 (ages 8-9) children of Locks Heath Junior School to bring the Gift of Christmas as a surprise to the Society of St James, in true little Saint Nick style?

Lovingly wrapped gifts for our Service Users.

We received a completely unexpected delivery of £400 and over 100 beautifully gift wrapped gifts for our service users from the children. The reception team at head office were delighted to be able to mail round our projects and ask staff to come and collect gifts for some of the people they work with. The story was picked up by local, online newspaper, the Western Wards Gazette and recognises the achievement of these very young children. I think they have truly demonstrated the spirit of the season with their thoughtful gesture to reach out to those who are in a less fortunate position. Congratulations Year 4 at Locks Heath Junior School. In the style of The Little Saint Nick, you made a real difference this Christmas.