Shelter Trust’s support service for homeless and vulnerable women opens

Now occupied by The Shelter Trust, Venetia House is the base for its recently-introduced support service for homeless and vulnerable women.

In partnership with Christians Together in Jersey Housing Trust (CTJ HT), the owners of the property from which this service now operates, Shelter has established a newly-equipped and upgraded 21-space facility, providing a range of accommodation, and operated and staffed by experienced managers and support workers, all of whom have undertaken specialist training focused on meeting the needs of at-risk and abused women.

The new facility will provide an appropriate and safe living environment while facilitating access to a range of services including health and social care, counselling and trauma informed support, and assistance with education, training and employment.

Located on the outskirts of St Helier, the property is being renamed in recognition of a former service user well known to the Trust as a long-term advocate of specific provision for disadvantaged women.

Neville Benbow, chair of The Shelter Trust, said: “There has been a pressing need for a dedicated service for homeless and socially excluded women and this new initiative aims to address current gaps in provision and enhance the level of care and support available to them. We hope it will provide a safe and secure environment for those women who need the time, space, and encouragement to enable them to progress to full independence.”

Until recently, Jersey did not have any ‘women-only’ provision for those in urgent need of emergency accommodation, with the exception of the short-stay Women’s Refuge, which has limited capacity.

This new service will provide an emergency alternative, especially for those women who are homeless and/or cannot access Women’s Refuge, as well as an onward referral option once they have left the Refuge.

It would not have been made possible without the significant financial support, commitment and co-operation of Christians Together in Jersey Housing Trust and an extraordinary funding package of grants and donations from businesses, Government, and funding organisations. These include the Roy Overland Charitable Trust, the Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands, Ocorian Trustees, the Ann Alice Rayner Fund, Le Gallais Real Estates Limited, and the Fiscal Stimulus Fund, as well as private donations.

Neville added: “This is a new service model for the Trust and builds on the successful partnerships developed with CTJ HT and other social housing providers which have helped extend both Shelter’s service offering and its onward referral and accommodation options. We are most grateful to all our partners for their continued support.”