Hope Centre

Hope is a charity and social enterprise which works to improve the lives of individuals and communities in Northamptonshire affected by poverty and disadvantage, especially related to homelessness.

Their Day Centre in Northampton works with up to 150 adults a day who are poor, homeless, hungry, lost, and who need help getting their lives under control. They may have complex mental health, drugs, alcohol, abuse, gambling or other problems, or they may simply not be able to make ends meet.  Hope Centre offer a range of services to meet their basic needs like washing, clothes, food, haircuts, foot care, a place to rest, but also a host of other services. These include:

Activity and confidence building groups to help them explore their creativity, occupy their time, and be more than just someone who eats and sleeps.

Signposting and advice to help to manage tough problems like drugs, mental health, housing and alcohol.

Casework support to improve employability, helping them gain new skills and confidence, volunteer and get work placements or training.

Real work opportunities in which they support people to stay engaged.

Training to work in catering and soon, gardening.

Hope is funded by a wide range of sources including the Big Lottery, but most income is self-generated.

Hope Enterprises is their trading arm, offering training and employment in tool repair, catering and soon to come, gardening. They offer work opportunities in their supportive work environment.

Hope Enterprises is developing a range of new services, including the growing project, producing food for their Day Centre, but also to help support a new Food club, an innovative way to supply food to people on low incomes through membership of a club. This will be available to people of all ages, including families with children.