National Three Peaks Challenge

The Seager Home Solutions Fundraising Team have set a new challenge; we will be taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge on the 24th September and raising funds for the homeless in the communities that we work in.

When we think of homelessness, we often think of people sleeping on the street, however this is known as rough sleeping. There are many different forms of homelessness. According to homeless charity Crisis, core homelessness includes rough sleeping, people living in sheds, garages and other unconventional buildings, sofa surfing, hostels and unsuitable temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.

There are social causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment and life events which push people into homelessness. People are forced into homelessness when they leave prison, care or the army with no home to go to. Many women experiencing homelessness have escaped a violent or abusive relationship. The average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 46 for men and 42 for women. People sleeping on the street are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence. More than one in three people sleeping rough have been deliberately hit or kicked or experienced some other form of violence whilst homeless. Homeless people are over nine times more likely to take their own life than the general population.

The Challenge

The National Three Peaks Challenge is an event in which participants attempt to climb the highest mountains of England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours. Walkers climb each peak in turn and are driven to the foot of each mountain.

Ben Nevis (1,345 m or 4,413 ft), the highest mountain in Scotland
Scafell Pike (978 m or 3,209 ft), the highest mountain in England
Snowdon (1,085 m or 3,560 ft), the highest mountain in Wales

The total distance walked is estimated at 42 kilometres (26 mi), with a total ascent of 9,800 feet (3,000m).

The Team

There will be three members taking on the Challenge. Kelly Seager, Alex Smith and Roger Kerr. Alan Seager will be “The Driver.” Alan will be responsible for making sure the challenge members are taken to the foot of each Mountain, but as a little sweetener will also be taking on Ben Nevis.

The Charities

We have selected three main charities to support.

Catch22 Housing Intervention Project (CHIP)

A practical and hands on intensive support programme for tenants of Colchester Borough Homes, Eastlight Community Homes and Tendring District Council.

Information, advice and guidance is provided to:

reduce re-offending and anti-social behaviour by improving resilience and access to public services
address relationship issues and support service users to address the underlying causes of behaviours
tackle violence, mental health and drug/alcohol issues to reduce the impact of chaotic lifestyles
support parents to adopt ‘positive parenting’ techniques and enhance their child’s school attendance and attainment.

Service users are encouraged to take an active role in the planning and delivery of the service, with the aim of enabling them to sustain positive change and manage future issues in a productive way.

Support is provided to individuals who:

are at risk of eviction due to anti-social behaviour and/or rent arrears
have a child who is at risk of being taken into care
impact the local community with their substance misuse
have a child who is at risk of being or who has been excluded from school
have a child with low attainment or attendance at school

Living It Stowmarket & Area Foodbank

Providing individuals and families from Stowmarket and the surrounding areas who are in crisis with emergency food parcels.

Purpose of the Foodbank

The Stowmarket and Area Foodbank was launched in October 2012 to provide individuals and families from Stowmarket and the surrounding areas who are in crisis with emergency food parcels. It is run in conjunction with other churches in the area, through Stowmarket Churches Together. We work with local organisations to identify individuals and families who can benefit from our services (this also helps us reduce fraud).

Tayfen House

Since 1998, Tayfen House has been offering emergency and long-term accommodation for single homeless people aged between 18 and 65. Emergency shelter comes in the form of two dormitory rooms where six people can be housed for up to 21 days. Meanwhile, there are 19 en-suite bedrooms for longer-term residents. They can stay for 18 months until they get back on their feet.

In addition, Tayfen House also manages 32 units of supported accommodation in the community. As a resource centre, Tayfen House also offers training and employment opportunities for residents. The main focus is to prepare them for resettlement in the community and to give them life skills to break the no home/no job cycle.