Catching Lives is one of the charities for which 3GKiliClimb is fundraising – I have been a volunteer there for over a year. Some of the things we provide are:
- Food (Breakfast, Lunch, Food Parcels and referrals to the Canterbury Food Bank).
- Laundry; 2 Washing Machines, 2 Condenser Tumble Dryers and we supply the detergent. Clients are responsible for doing their own laundry.
- Toilets and Showers (We supply a variety of toiletries and clean towels)
- Storage (Rough sleepers have access to a small area wherein they can store belongings that they can’t carry with them; or are particularly personally valuable)
- Postal Address (essential for claiming benefits, looking for work, or registering with a GP).
- Use of a Telephone
- IT suite (Computers and internet access)
- Mental Health Outreach Service
- Advocacy and Advice Services which include specialist advice on:
- Homelessness
- Housing
- Welfare Benefits
- Income Tax
- Domestic Abuse
- Access to ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) lessons and literacy classes
- A variety of structured activities (inc. Film Club, relaxation classes, gardening)
- Signposting to all manner of agencies.
You can see that a really comprehensive service is provided – that is what 3G are raising money for – but there are extras too. Sometimes things, which you think may not really take off, do, and this year many of our clients have become very enthusiastic about art, design and sculpture.
For several months, whenever I was at the centre, there would be at least one table of people absolutely engrossed in creating items for an exhibition, which was mounted in Canterbury in the spring. The aim of the show was to try to change the public’s perception of homeless people.
The exhibition was reported in our local paper as follows:
Catching Lives clients Jimmy Wicks, Ed Bryan, Zeph Smith and Antonio Ramos with their artwork
Homeless people in Canterbury say a pioneering art project has helped turn their lives around.
It has been taking place at the charity Catching Lives, with some rough sleepers saying it has lifted them out of the depths of despair and pulled them from the brink of suicide.
The scheme, backed with a £15,000 EU social fund grant, has resulted in a variety of artworks, which will go on display around the city this month.
Twelve people have contributed to the exhibition, which is called City Ciphers and includes drawings, textiles, photography, music, sculpture, collage, creative writing and a unique 6ft map of Canterbury.
For homeless people like Zeph Smith, 40, getting involved has been a lifesaver.
He said: “I am a recovering alcoholic and have been at rock bottom – close to topping myself.
“But when I got into art, I started to find it really therapeutic and feel like I really have benefited.
“I’ve started to go to college and had some very positive feedback.” Jimmy Wicks, 61, says his life collapsed after losing his job in the security industry, leaving him in debt and eventually homeless.
He said: “I lost everything and ended up living in a tent. I was in Shropshire at the time, but was born in Canterbury and lived in the city until I was 18, so came back here.
“I’ve really enjoyed being involved in the art project and have really got into drawing. It’s got my motivation back on track and now I’m looking for a job.
“Without Catching Lives, I’m not sure I would have survived.”
Antonio Ramos, 31, fell on hard times after losing his job as a chef in London and had a nervous breakdown because of depression.
He said: “The art project really has given me a lift. I was even invited to give a talk to medical students at Kent and Canterbury Hospital about the therapeutic benefits of art for the homeless.
“That is something I would never have been able to do before because I was quite shy.”
Ed Bryan, 46, said: “I never thought I’d be made homeless and am a proud bloke and didn’t initially want any help. But Catching Lives has been incredible supportive and I’ve really enjoyed contributing to the musical side of the project, helping to record a CD.”
Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District – by Gerry Warren
In addition, we had another artistic surprise one morning at the beginning of April, when we arrived to do our our usual Wednesday cooking. Overnight a mural had appeared on the outside of the building – we really love it!
There were rumours that it was a Banksy and we were wondering if it needed special protection, when Catman, who lives in Whitstable, claimed responsibility for this great piece of urban art. He calls it ‘Pigs Might Fly’ and subsequently donated his original design piece painted on a piece of marine plywood – on which he based his mural – to Catching Lives to be auctioned. It raised a four figure sum, which was a fantastic amount for us to receive and also inspired several of our clients to attempt making large artworks along similar lines.
So, as you see, life is full of surprises at Catching Lives: we never know whether we will be the beneficiaries of a crate of unwanted asparagus, a box of men’s underpants (they were very popular!) or a mural on our wall, thanks to the amazing generosity of so many people!
Note from Jae: I love that mural – if I’m in Canterbury for the weekend, and go out for a jog, I always find a route that takes me past it. I was just looking at Catman’s Facebook page and saw this fab picture of penguins jumping into the sea in Kent – just as you do Ma!
