HRH The Duke of Kent makes his first hostel visit as St Mungo’s new Royal Patron

23 February 2010

His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent has made his first visit to a St Mungo's hostel in his new role as Royal Patron of the homelessness charity.

The Duke of Kent became St Mungo's Patron last year as the charity celebrated its 40th anniversary.

His first visit to a hostel in his new role was to meet residents and staff at the Mare Street hostel in Hackney. This has 45 individual rooms and 15 self-contained studio flats for homeless and vulnerable people on their recovery journey.

Previously dormitory-style accommodation for 150 people, Mare Street hostel was re-opened last year after major refurbishment through the Government's Places of Change programme.

Now it provides not only accommodation but links in to health services as well as the St Mungo's-funded Pathways to Employment programme.

This supports people into work through activities, training and employment opportunities, with vocational guidance and specialist coaching staff. In a recent survey of St Mungo's clients, 15% had never worked at all and 68% had not worked in the last five years.

His Royal Highness met residents and staff involved with Pathways to Employment. Through Pathways, and other initiatives, over the last 12 months St Mungo's has helped 120 people into jobs, 700 into training and 700 into first step activities.

At Mare Street residents receive a first stage occupational health check, and then the opportunity to talk through an action plan for their work and personal ambitions. The hostel offers on-site one to one guidance as well as:

  • literacy and numeracy courses,
  • painting and decorating skills training
  • activities including arts, music and lifeskills courses such as cooking

HRH The Duke of Kent with St Mungos client JonathanHis Royal Highness met one former resident Jonathan, 28, who has now moved into his own flat but is making the most of a St Mungo's painting and decorating skills course. As well as using his new skills to re-decorate his grandmother's house, he has also been motivated to start his own window-cleaning business. "It was a privilege to meet the Duke," he said. "I told him about the course and said I wanted to paint Buckingham Palace next! He wished me good luck with that!"

HRH The Duke of Kent said: "Mare Street is a shining example of what can be done to support people to find their way back from troubled experiences to lives that are active and fulfilling. Projects like Mare Street are vital in assisting homeless people find a place to live as well as an occupation that they can be proud of."

Charles Fraser, Chief Executive of St Mungo's, said: "It was a pleasure to welcome His Royal Highness to Mare Street on his first official visit to a hostel as our Royal Patron. His support for our work is greatly appreciated."

In Hackney, St Mungo's works in partnership with Hackney Council and other third sector organisations to help improve the lives of residents, in line with the borough's Sustainable Community Strategy.

Mare Street residents also have access to the Greenhouse Health Centre - a St Mungo's, Thames Reach and Hackney Primary Care Trust partnership for access to doctors and specialist health workers.

ENDS

NOTES

For further information contact:

  • Judith Higgin, Media Manager, St Mungo's, on 020 8762 5645, email: judith.higgin@mungos.org
  • Mare Street was a former police section house was refurbished through a successful funding bid from St Mungo's and the Borough of Hackney to Communities and Local Government through their Hostels Capital Improvement Programme (HCIP), the second phase of which - The Places of Change Programme - has since transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The hostel also has a Library, arts groups, and a recording studio run with a local community organisation Rising Tide.
  • Established in 1969, St Mungo's has been helping rough sleepers and homeless people in the capital for 40 years. In the last year our outreach teams helped almost 450 people off the streets; we provided accommodation for more than 1,400 homeless people every night; and we supported over 1,000 clients with their mental health and substance use needs
  • We run over 100 housing, health and work projects in London and the South (Bristol, Oxford, Reading)
  • The St Mungo's Pathways to Employment programme prepares hostel residents on site for work and learning, whatever stage of recovery they are at - it underpins all St Mungo's work and learning services. Launched in Jan 2008, Pathways to Employment takes residents on a journey, from initial health check through to appropriate training, and on to a successful job search and sustainable employment.

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