A Personal Update

From CEO, Pastor Alex Gyasi

It seems a bit surreal to me that Highway House has been helping the destitute in our society for 7 years now. It's very existence shows how we can touch the lives of so many individuals and the enormous difference it can make, when good people like you, arise to help others.

Since the beginnings of Highway House in 2009, we have received over 700 people from over 60 nations. This means that every continent in the world has been represented among these numbers. For six and a half years now Highway House has been open for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and over the years we have seen so many lives transformed.

Many of our former residents have recovered from drug and alcohol misuse, found their own accommodation, jobs and some have reunited with their families both in the U.K and abroad. Some ex-residents are now even helping out in other charities that help the homeless and alcoholics, using their own experience to help others recover from their addiction.

In July we launched a report on the work at Highway House. The research conducted has cemented the value of our work to individuals and to society and gives a SORI value of £5 that is returned to society and the government for every £1 that is invested into our work.

This year's Christmas Appeal is for help to make the much needed renovations and expansion to our resident's bathroom facilities so we can help more people and in greater ways.

As we celebrate our 7th Christmas, my heartfelt thanks goes to our appreciated supporters: our volunteers, workers and donors. Without YOU it would have been utterly impossible to run the homeless shelter for this long.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your valuable support and to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Pastor Alex Gyasi

Highway House News...

Christmas Appeal

Highway House bathroom renovation

Imagine being in a queue of 50 people for a shower?
Well with only one shower and one toilet, that's what our residents face each day. As you can see from the picture above, our bathroom facilities not only need to be expanded, but they need to be updated.

To do this, we need to raise around £10,000 which will go toward a full refurbishment, plumbing, fixtures and fittings as we carve out additional space for two showers and two toilets. By doing this, not only can we make the lives of our current residents more comfortable, we can also take in more people and work toward our goal to take in more women as well.

If you would like to help, click on the link below. We'll keep you updated throughout the year on our progress. Thank You!

DONATE HERE

University Report Launch
Research evidences our valueto the government and society

The study conducted by Dr Marcello Berlotti, UEL was conducted over 2 years and demonstrates a key finding.

For every £1 given or invested into Highway House,
our work saves the government £5

This vital piece of research has cemented our value to individuals and society in general and will help us continue to grow our services and support more people. The Deputy Mayor of London, Joanne McCartney, who attended the launch of the report, praised the work of Highway House and recognised our valuable contribution to helping the homeless in London and the findings of the report.

Read The Guardian article here about the report launch.

READ The Research Report

Kamilla's Story

Pregnant and Homeless

Kamilla was three months pregnant and homeless when two of our residents brought her to Highway House.

We agreed that she could stay for a few days, believing she would be eligible for emergency accommodation, but her stay was longer than expected. We set out to find her more suitable accommodation to settle into and prepare for the birth of her baby, however, much to our surprise, she was not eligible for any housing support, until she had given birth.

We had an important decision to make and Kamilla stayed at Highway House for a further 6 months until her baby was born. We were then able to help her return to her family in Poland, where she was reunited with her loved ones. Two years after leaving Highway House, Kamilla made a surprise visit to Highway House with her energetic three year old. She now works in London, where she has a home with her family.

Highway House Media...

Highway House is unique because we are able to serve the most vulnerable in our community, including those who have no recourse to public funds, or those who have been discharged from hospital and without Highway House, would have been left on the streets.

As a result, our work has been featured on:

BBC's One Show (2012)
Channel 4 documentary (2014)
BBC London Radio on 3 occasions
The Guardian (2012) and again this year! (2016)
Local newspapers

Read the latest coverage of Highway House in The Guardian

READ latest article from The Guardian

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