Thank you to Sanctuary Trust Wales for opening its door to Homeless Friendly, we enjoyed learning about the support that is offered to people in and around Conwy

The day commenced with being introduced to staff and volunteers at Conwy Food Bank, the food bank has been a key resource for vulnerable people throughout the pandemic. The original thinking was that they would help a total of 600 people in a 6-month period, in reality the food bank actually helped almost double that amount of people. There is a realisation that due to soaring household costs the number of people supported will continue to rise but the staff and volunteers are ready to meet that challenge. Within the building, The Sanctuary Trust have also launched spin off projects such as Slow Cooker give away (a project where we give away slow cookers with guidance on how you make healthy meals) and the Kidzs Bank, sourcing prams, cots and toys for disadvantaged local children. The building presents as an excellent resource with provision on the first floor to hold community sessions.

The second visit on our whistle stop tour was to their Community Shop within Pensarn. The shop offers much more than a place to donate or buy items. They are a focal point for the local community always ready to lend a friendly ear, offer support and advise people how to access local services.

Our next stop was at The Cornerstones project which is an eight bedded large house providing support to men who are homeless aged 18 – 65 and Floating Support services to ten clients living in their own tenancies enabling people to focus on independent living.

The final stop was at Halsall House which again is a residential environment offering clients the opportunity to explore habits with the intention of change, it is believed that all clients can (over time) create very different futures for themselves. Sanctuary Trust don’t try to reinvent the wheel; simply look at the habits of happy people who have adopted certain behaviour patterns. If a client can adopt these habits, they too can achieve real sustained happiness in life.

Replacing destructive habits with healthy ones is accomplished over a period of time, through a process known as Neuroplasticity. At Halsall house clients will learn all about this process through a tailored training programme. The staff and volunteers also offer outreach support working with people who are sleeping on the streets of Conwy and the surrounding areas.

Sanctuary Trust Wales work closely with partner agencies offering support to some of the most vulnerable people in the local area.

Thank you to you all for making us feel so welcome and becoming the first charity in Wales to evidence that they are truly Homeless Friendly.

CROESO – Sanctuary Trust Wales