News

LeatherHEAD START relaunch opens doors to a brighter future

22 September 2011

LeatherHEAD START, the charity that provides temporary accommodation for homeless people across Surrey, celebrated its new look and new range of services at a celebration event on 16 September. Their refurbished building on Church Road, Leatherhead was officially opened by Robert Napier, chairman of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the national housing and regeneration agency, in the company of Mole Valley District Council vice chairman Councillor Salmon and other members of the council, partners Raven, and trustees and volunteers past and present.

The event gave guests an opportunity to look around the hostel, meet clients and hear about the charity’s work. With its newly extended and refurbished premises LeatherHEAD START can now offer improved services such as a training area, individual bedrooms including a double room for couples, and a new office space to provide more support services to help vulnerable people experiencing homelessness back into independent living.

Most of the funding for the refurbishment came from the HCA’s Homelessness Change Programme, which develops new or refurbished hostel accommodation with an emphasis on the elimination of poor quality, unfit for purpose facilities, with further contributions from Mole Valley District Council, Raven and the charity itself. Robert Napier, chairman of the HCA said:

“What makes this project so impressive is not just the physical environment, which looks great and is clearly much improved, but the people behind it who are doing an incredible job in supporting homeless people in Surrey. It is a pleasure for the HCA to support this work.”

Myfanwy Tothill chairman of the trustees at LeatherHEAD START, said:

“LeatherHEAD START, formerly known as Leatherhead Night Hostel, has been at Church Road for over 30 years and a refurbishment of the premises was long overdue. The refurbishment of the building, which took place while the hostel continued to remain open in premises provided by Mole Valley District Council and provide vital support to people, means we can extend the help and support we offer to people to get their lives back on track. We have now achieved our vision of a 24/7 service for our clients by providing meaningful daytime activities and training, and promoting independence and self-esteem to help them gain the skills and confidence necessary to face their future with optimism and find a stake in society.”

Councillor Vivienne Michael, portfolio holder for wellbeing and customer service, said:

"Mole Valley District Council is proud to have supported the refurbishment of this extremely important building, which for a long time has been providing an essential service. It's fantastic that the charity can now offer even more support to those most in need."

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