On 19th May 2020, The Rotary Club of Bedford Park showed their continued commitment to the SMART Prebend Centre by donating an extremely generous £2000, and it could not have come at a more crucial time.
Back in March, when the country went into lockdown, we realised that we were going to have a SHORTFALL of £25,000 in donations from the groups which normally meet and raise funds for our projects. We also anticipated additional money being required to relocate and change our service model. This is why we launched our emergency appeal, which, with your help, has raised £9,109 so far.
£1,000 could make a big difference to the work we do at the SMART Prebend Centre. That’s why we’d be really grateful if you could nominate us in the Ecclesiastical Movement for Good awards. Your nomination could be the one that wins us £1,000!
WONDERFUL NEWS – The Harpur Trust has awarded SMART CJS funding as part of the Bedfordshire Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund. The money is paying for a skilled worker for 3 months who would otherwise have been furloughed.
Read our latest news bulletin for March and April. This edition will look at the impact COVID-19 has had on SMART CJS’s services and how we have had to redesign how we work to keep helping those in need.
We are proud of our work and feel privileged to have the opportunity to help people to help themselves. We care greatly for all of our service users and are motivated to help them to succeed. The report includes some of their stories, along with facts and figures about our work. We hope that you find it informative and inspirational.
Many questions are being asked about homelessness and COVID-19 right now, the answers to which are not always obvious and often complex. To help, we have produced a guide to understanding the Homeless and Rough Sleeper community and COVID-19.
SMART CJS’s normal service and support to rough sleepers and the homeless in Bedford and Milton Keynes has been severely disrupted due to the current pandemic. Restrictions and safety directives from the Government advise everyone to STAY AT HOME. Hostels and centres have had to close to ensure that social distancing rules are observed. WE NEED YOUR HELP
Information, advice and resources for people due to attend SMART CJS services. We are continually updating our information and ensuring a safe environment for our service users, staff, suppliers, sub-contractors and volunteers.
We are delighted to have been nominated as CTM-IT’s charity of the year! CTM’s main fundraising focus will be on collaborating and supporting SMART CJS homeless and rough sleepers services in Bedford and Milton Keynes. This will include raising money for the Prebend Centre in Bedford, which receives no statutory funding and needs to raise £250K per year to stay open.
Information, advice and resources for people due to attend SMART CJS services. We are continually updating our information and ensuring a safe environment for our service users, staff, suppliers, sub-contractors and volunteers.
We are delighted to announce the CRIB Appeal has raised over £60,000 for the SMART Prebend Centre in Bedford, thanks to an outstanding response from the local community.
Are you being affected by another person’s drug or alcohol use? When you are worried about someone’s alcohol or drugs misuse, it can be easy to put all your energy into supporting them, and forget about your own needs. It’s important to recognise that by looking after yourself, you will be in a better position to offer support to someone else.
The SMART Prebend Centre Cold Relief In Bedford (CRIB) appeal is in its final week and is tantalisingly close to hitting the campaign target of £60,000. The annual appeal has received a record number of donations, totalling £57,000, which has helped the homeless day centre to stay open during the harsh winter months.
February 2020, marks the launch of the SMART CJS News Bulletin – a roundup of what’s been happening across our small charity with a big heart. In this edition you can read about open days, New Year clinics, a decade at Howard House and of course, our magnificent team members, fabulous fundraisers and dedicated volunteers
We are delighted to welcome Dr Fatima Sogiawalla and Jono Poon to join our diverse Board of Trustees. The new recruits bring a combined expertise in healthcare, communications, digital marketing and leadership.
We were thrilled to host open day events at Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub (Milton Keynes) and the SMART Prebend Centre (Bedford), in January. SMART teams welcomed over 100 visitors across two days, providing an opportunity for residents, local businesses and partner agencies to take a tour, talk to staff and find out how SMART CJS is working to prevent homelessness and relieve rough sleeping in Bedford and Milton Keynes.
Castle Comedy, in conjunction with Bedford Park Rotary held a fabulous fundraising night for the SMART Prebend Centre last month. We are delighted to announce that we have received a total of £1546 from the event, including a cheque for £1000 from Bedford Park Rotary and £546 from the Castle Comedy reverse auction.
On Friday 31st January 2020, our homeless day centre in Bedford, the SMART Prebend Centre, is holding an open day, between 2-5pm. This is an opportunity for residents, local businesses and partner agencies to take a tour, talk to staff and find out about homelessness and how the service supports those who desperately need it.
When we launched our Cold Relief In Bedford (CRIB) appeal in November, in aid of the SMART Prebend Centre for the homeless, Bedford – the target of £60,000 seemed ambitious. But the community has got right behind it – we still need your help.