Investors in People Gold for the Whitechapel Centre

Liverpool homeless charity, the Whitechapel Centre, is celebrating as it achieves the highly prestigious Investors in People Gold Award.

(L – R)

David Carter, Chief Executive, Whitechapel Centre

Alison Bryant, IiP Assessor, Liverpool John Moores University

Terry Crolley, Chair of Trustees, Whitechapel Centre

Judith Bulmer, Business Services Manager, Whitechapel Centre

The organisation was put through a rigorous assessment which included lengthy interviews with a large number of staff, managers and volunteers. The Whitechapel Centre now joins the top 3% of organisations across the UK to achieve the GOLD standard.  This standard is only given to organisations who can demonstrate excellence in developing and supporting their staff. Organisations must be able to meet over 160 evidence requirements that include commitment to company values, personal and organisational development and social responsibility.

Chief Executive David Carter commented ‘We are absolutely delighted to receive the extremely prestigious GOLD award for Investors in People.  This is a fantastic result and the Assessor was most complimentary in the feedback, noting “This dynamic organisation, rightly takes pride in their many achievements. They aspire to be the best in all they undertake; doing everything they can to achieve their goals.’

Whitechapel’s assessment was carried by Liverpool John Moores University’s Alison Bryant. The Whitechapel Centre will continue to build on its partnership with LJMU, with particular emphasis on training and development.  The Whitechapel Centre has been a keen supporter and partner of LJMU’s new LGBT Student Mentoring Employability Scheme, as well as facilitating and benefitting from a large number of very successful student placements. 

The Whitechapel Centre’s Business Services Manager, Judith Bulmer, said: ‘Our partnership with Liverpool John Moores University has been a very positive experience. Alison our IiP Assessor provided a third party, unbiased view of our organisation which helped us identify gaps we might otherwise have missed and to shape our agenda for improvement.  Working to achieve the Investors in People GOLD Standard over the last three years has helped us not only to become more strategically focussed but also to maintain the motivation and commitment of staff through a period of profound change.  Staff turnover has fallen to 1%.  Investors in People provides a comprehensive and challenging framework for HR practice and business excellence which actively supports our efforts to become an excellent employer.

Investors in People has grown to be the UK’s leading people management business improvement standard.  First developed in 1991 thousands of organisations are now accredited with the improved Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for their organisational development.

Gordon's New Chair!

Donations here at The Whitechapel Centre are very much appreciated and always put to good use.

Recently we were given a wonderful electric/orthopaedic chair and a shower stool via one of our most stalwart supporters.

A gentleman had recently come on to our Resettlement project had just moved into a property and had almost no furniture to put in it

Along with his he was suffering from various health and mobility issues, he particularly struggled when sitting, and then standing, and also with standing for long periods in the shower.

His support worker Carole spotted the chair just as it had been delivered, and knew that it had his name written all over it!

Carole arranged for it to be delivered to his home address, and along with volunteer Jonathan made sure that it was safely delivered and set up for him in his new living room, Gordon couldn't stop smiling.

When Carole next went to visit Gordon he couldn't stop raving about his chair, he said it was "Just the job!"



Gordon happily sitting in his new chair.

The chair is so comfortable he can even fall asleep in it, and the shower stool took away his fear of falling when getting washed.

Here at the Whitechapel Centre we are always thrilled to receive donations and they come in all shapes and sizes.

This particular story has had a very happy ending, with Gordon's home life being much improved.

Thank you to all those that make donations, and a special thank you to the previous owner of this wonderful chair.

To find out more about our Resettlement Project, or to see how you can make a donation, please visit our website at: http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk

Whitechapel's Sarah helps family to a happier home

Clare* and her three children were living in an insecure tenancy and were at risk of homelessness.  

Clare has anxiety and depression which was worsened by her housing situation. This meant that her children were also suffering, worrying about the possibility of losing their home and having to live in a hostel, or worse.

No child should have to feel worried and stressed over the possibility of losing their home.

Whitechapel support worker, Sarah began supporting Clare on our Dual Diagnosis project 7 months ago after they had been living under this stress and insecurity for over 6 months.



Whitechapel Support Worker Sarah



She helped the family to access the Housing Options Service who assessed them as high priority for rehousing and as a result they were offered a house by a housing association. 

Clare and her family have recently moved into the property and are settling in well, with Clare saying “It’s such a nice house .. the house where we lived before was never a home, where as now I finally feel like we have found our home”.

Since moving house her health has improved and her children are no longer feeling stressed and worried.  

Clare added, "So much has changed in a positive way since the Whitechapel has got involved. I really appreciate their help as things were really dismal before to say the least. Since they began helping so many things have improved for me".

To find out more about the work that Sarah's team does, and how you can help, please visit our website at: http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk

*Real names have not been used in this story

Running Success for Whitechapel Support Workers

Two members of the Whitechapel Resettlement team, Gary and Joe, both recently took part in the annual 10k Mersey Tunnel Race.

Both are keen runners, and have been training together on the lead up to their first race where they were both competing.

They did extremely well, Gary coming in at 39mins; with his younger counterpart Joe close up behind him at 39.02mins.

Joe explained that he was leading the whole way, until the last few meters when the more senior of the two came from behind to pip him to the post.

Gary's explanation was that he let Joe take the lead, but thought he would show him that despite the years between them he still had the stamina to beat him.

Their places at 63 and 66 respectively were quite a feat, considering that there were 2852 competitors taking part.




Joe and Gary

 We are very proud of how well both men have done, and thought that it was worthy of a public well done, CONGRATUALTIONS JOE AND GARY!

To find out more about the work that both Joe and Gary do in their roles as support workers please go to our website at: http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk

Whitechapel's Pre-Volunteers Group Visit to Radio Merseyside

Here at The Whitechapel Centre we run a very successful volunteer program, part of the success being that before joining we run a pre-volunteer training session for people to get a taster of what is ahead.

As a part of this course the group go on visits around Liverpool to get an insight in to different occupations, ideas and histories that may help them as a volunteer.

Whitechapel tutor and support worker, Carole took the group to Radio Merseyside's studio on Hanover Street in Liverpool city centre.

They were met by Andrew Bell, a senior journalist from the station. He made the group feel right at home, introduced the team he worked with, and explained each person's role.

Mervyn, Gary, Margaret, Andrew Bell and Christian (l-r)

The studio itself was a hive of industry, with all of the staff appearing to be very busy, sitting behind screens editing sounds, or selecting text for future broadcasts.

Even the walls of the studio were interesting as they were covered with pictures of famous Liverpudlians both past and present.

One member of the team, Gary said, "This was a very interesting tour which certainly made us aware of all the hard work that keeps a radio station running.".




Mervyn, tutor Carole, Gary and Margaret with Andrew Bell (l-r)

 As the group were on the way out they caught a glimpse of presenters Roger Philips, who was hard at work, and Billy Butler, who was waiting to go on air.

After the excitement of the visit the gang sat outside Bluecoat Chambers in the very rare sunshine, and talked about all that they had just seen and experieneced.

To find out more about the volunteer program at The Whitechapel Centre, or the work that we carry out, please visit our website at: http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk

Finance Workers Feed the Homeless

Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management in Liverpool has teamed up with homeless charity, the Whitechapel Centre, to provide a volunteering experience with a difference.

Every Tuesday morning two members of staff from the wealth management team swap their offices in the Royal Liver Building for a small kitchen in a homeless centre. They arrive at 7.30am and prepare breakfast for people who have spent the night sleeping rough or in the “sit-up”, an overnight facility to prevent rough sleeping.



Deutsche Bank's Chris Leyland serving breakfast



Support workers are also available to provide help to find suitable accommodation and benefits advice to ensure no new rough sleeper spends a second night out on the streets. After breakfast people are able to have a shower and wash clothes before taking part in a range of daily sessions in the centre. Activities include gardening, IT, creative writing, drama and music.

Rachel Gradden, Relationship Manager at Deutsche Asset and Wealth Management, has recruited a team of 12 volunteers from her colleagues in the Liverpool office. She said, “Deutsche Bank supports a regional volunteering programme as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility commitment in the UK and we are delighted to volunteer at the Whitechapel Centre.  We never know how many people will walk through the door at 8am, sometimes it is as few as 5 but other mornings we’ve catered for 27.  Being able to see firsthand the difference that we can make is very fulfilling.”

Sam Myers from Deutsche Bank washing dishes

The Whitechapel Centre in Liverpool works with people who are sleeping rough, living in hostels or struggling to manage their accommodation. We are committed to helping people find and maintain a home and learn the life skills essential for independent living.

Volunteers are vital to ensure the smooth running of the organisation.  Volunteer Manager, Pauline Baysan, explains more “We welcome volunteers from all walks of life, including ex-clients, students, people who are retired and from the corporate sector. All volunteers receive appropriate training and there is a wide range of roles and flexible timings. Positions are based either in the centre or our offices and include preparing breakfast, accompanying clients on visits, supporting our outreach team, fundraising and marketing, administration, welfare rights advice and session tutoring."

For a full volunteer pack please email volunteer@whitechapelcentre.co.uk or call 0151 207 7617 http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk

Liverpool Students Help Those in Need at The Whitechapel Centre

Students across the city, from Liverpool Hope, Liverpool University and Liverpool John Moores University have all made donations to us here at the Whitechapel Centre.

Resident tutor at Hope's Creative Campus, Sara Devoreux-Ward, contacted us to advise that she had been collecting unwanted items from students, and to ask if they could be of any use to our client group.

When students move on from one residence to the next they often have a surplus amount of home wares that were no longer needed in their new homes. 

The Creative Campus is based next to our Enablement Centre which made us the first port of call when considering who might make use of what had been given.

Sara said, "I am determined to make students more aware of how lucky they are, and also to keep 'charity' local and support those close to my heart."

Kitchen wares and crockery filling our cupboards before they are passed on.

That is not where it stopped however, as part of the 'Leave Liverpool Tidy' campaign organised by the Students Union, we also recieved donations from both Liverpool John Moores University, and Liverpool University.



Donations from Leave Liverpool Tidy

The donations were made up of bedding, food, clothes, and many other household items, all of which the people that use our services are desperately in need of.

No sooner had the items been brought in they were then ear marked for various clients, and boxed up ready to go.
Here at The Whitechapel Centre we are extremely grateful for all of these donations as there are so many people that are in great need.

We would all like to say a massive THANK YOU to all those to donated and collected everything that was given - there are good homes ready and waiting for them.

To find out more about the work that we carry out here at The Whitechapel Centre, and to see how you can help or make a donation, please go to our website at: http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk

To find out more about the 'Leave Liverpool Tidy' campaign please go to: http://www.leaveliverpooltidy.org/

Whitechapel Support Worker Helps Family to a Better Life.

Whitechapel support worker, Peter, started working with a young mother of six children in January 2012.

The lady in question was herself a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her ex-partner, and as such had to move from the address she was living at with her family.

Life was not easy after everything that she had experienced, meaning that she often turned to alcohol or drugs in order to take away the emotional and physical pain.

This in turn put her tennancy and her children's well being at risk, meaning more home moves and the involvement of social services.

All was not however lost, and with Peter's help and support she turned her life around, starting with attending Addaction.

After time she was then able to show that she could provide a better, more stable, home life for her children.

The family have all just moved into a new home that can accomodate them all, from toddlers to teenagers, and they are thrilled with it.

Through out this difficult time Peter has been the one constant by her side seeing her through this period and out the other side.

Peter has said that she is now "Unrecognisable, her confidence has increased so much she is like a new woman!".



Support Worker Peter

 At The Whitechapel Centre we help many people with many different circumstances, this is just one great example of how supporting one person has helped improve the life of six others.

To find out more about the work that we carry out here at The Whitechapel Centre please go to our website at: http://www.whitechapelcentre.co.uk