Bethel Drop-in Centre

 

Our Drop-in Centre opened August 2018, and is a project that is open three afternoons a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Through the Centre we provide a variety of free services for the local community: free supermarket food, hot meals, clothing, benefits advice, help with job and accommodation searches, IT access and support, and addiction recovery support. We serve vulnerable adults including families, ex-offenders, people with addictions and homeless individuals. Each week we serve between 50 and 70 individuals from the immediate local community, providing free food, which is donated from local supermarkets. Through the Covid pandemic, this grew to between 300 and 400 people each week. 

 

All people who work at the Centre are volunteers. Through conversations with social workers, local agencies, and local councillors, it has been made clear that we have their support for the work of the Centre. Moreover, through interviews with 30 service users who regularly use the Centre, the following findings were gathered:

 

How the Centre is making a difference to people:

• “You are here for the people and the community- its what people need. Its been a godsend for me, helping with food”

• “It provides me with food and support and makes me feel not so alone”

• “Yes, the Centre is helping me stay off drugs and I am using the Internet to help look for housing”

• “It stops people feeling stressed and suicidal”

• “They are non-judgemental and don’t ask any questions- they are helpful”

• “Its not just about the food- I’d lost the art of getting to know people- its been really good to meet new people”

• “It gets me out of the house”

• “ It keeps me sane”

• “It keeps me calm. The centre relaxes me and it feels like a family”

• “The community needs a place like this- opening up doors and offering people hope in this situation- The Centre is vital”