Giving residential support and hope to women in need

Giving Back: Talitha Koum

My opportunity here is to capture the essence of our service and the difference it has made during the four years that we have been operational.

The Hope Centre provides an 11-bedroom home for women who are vulnerable as a result of life events.  The Hope Centre is set in two acres of countryside, just a few miles north of Ipswich. Together, with the ensuite bedrooms, there are communal rooms, including kitchens, a lounge and dining area, an additional bathroom, a wonderfully equipped activity room and a cabin for exercise sessions and meetings.

We are situated beside a glorious meadow, a lawn, an orchard, a vegetable garden, beehives, a pond, and an inviting, quiet area under a pergola with comfy garden furniture.

TK provides a specialist-supported housing service. This began in response to the identified unmet needs of women in our community, whose vulnerabilities troubled local people so much that they decided to make a difference and commit to creating The Hope Centre.

As a result, the founders, long-term supporters, patrons, trustees, and donors have worked cohesively to secure the site and raise the necessary funds and materials to create this purpose-built centre and service, which opened in June 2018.

A Christian charity

TK is a Christian charity. It is blessed with gifts and donations from many individuals, families, friends, community groups and churches who recognise the purpose and who share the desire to create and maximise the service provision offered at The Hope Centre.

The charity is a professional and established supported housing provider, working closely with statutory and voluntary sector organisations to support the women who are central to our aims and provision. Our established, robust provision, reflects the inclusive service and commitment to work alongside residents who choose to make informed choices and decisions about their future.

Referrals for residential support can be made by the individuals or by others with the prior consent of those being referred. Once referrals are accepted, a room is allocated, and the support plan begins. The highest number of referrals are from local housing departments, with specialist services also referring regularly.

Individual support plans

TK staff work alongside residents to ensure a person-centred plan is provided. Naturally, many have similar needs, such as getting benefits sorted and registering with medical services. But many of the longer-term recovery, informed choices and planning, relate to addressing events and situations that go back years and connect each individual’s life events.

For example, if a child moves home frequently whilst growing up, they may not get a complete or satisfactory education. This, in turn, may result in barriers to work. There may be other influencing issues, such as being a young carer, a victim of child or adult abuse, suffering illness, bereavement, addiction, debt, and homelessness. We aim to offer appropriate support for all circumstances.