Derry's 'transformational' homeless project

A “transformational” project with homeless people in the city has been made possible thanks to the “overwhelming generosity” of the people of Derry and Strabane.

Local councillor Sandra Duffy said the project was one of the many positive initiatives which resulted from her time as mayor of Derry.

As mayor for the year 2022/2023, Sandra raised almost £43,000 for her chosen charity, First Housing Aid and Support Services (FHASS).

FHASS is one of the biggest homeless charities in the city and district, offering a number of services in Derry and Strabane.
Speaking to Derry News, Sandra said she couldn’t thank the people of Derry and Strabane enough for their generosity to her Mayoral Charity.

“I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of money that was raised. The difference it will make to homeless people within our city and district is absolutely fantastic and I will be forever grateful,” she said.

“The fundraising done through the Mayoral Charity meant there would be money available for FHASS residents and service users.

“Because the services have always run on a shoestring, it was always the absolute necessities first. Anything over and above that which we might have wanted to do for the service users, we couldn’t because we didn’t have the money. That is why my focus for the Mayoral Charity was to try and get pots of money for these things.

“Over the course of the last couple months, we have been using them for different things. We did the hampers at Christmas and we have also done electricity and fuel top ups - all those things we wouldn’t have been able to do without the Mayoral Charity.

“We are now looking at how we can go a wee bit further. We are looking at wee trips away for people. But one of the things we have been doing for the last number of months is a project looking at the health and well-being of a group of service users. It has been really successful.”

Sandra explained the group would have come into FHASS in the past and would have had “really complex needs”.

“We are looking at getting them gym membership. Within FHASS we have two workers who are really keen on physical exercise. One is a boxing coach and one is into mixed martial arts.

“They now have a group that they take to the Foyle Arena every Wednesday. That group is now getting a taste of what is available there. They are going in and having a swim and using the sauna and the gym.

“They are getting used to being in Foyle Arena and the benefits it is having for their health and well-being - the routine it is bringing to their lives. It has just been transformational in terms of the people we have been able to bring to the service and we are hoping to build on it.

“I am so grateful for everyone who donated and raised money for my Mayoral Charity, I just wanted to let everyone know where their money is going and the benefits it is having, in terms of building on people’s self-confidence, and improving their mental health and their feeling of worth,.

“I think going to Foyle Arena and being involved in sports and welfare has been invaluable to this group of people who have gone through FHASS services.”

Sandra has been working in the field of homelessness since she left university in 1998.

“I worked in Derry, Coleraine and Belfast, all around the place but I started in First Housing in 2005 and since then I have set up a number of homeless services within the city,” she said.

“One of these is for young people who have been put out of the family home, who have left care or have different difficulties and have nowhere to stay.

“Over covid I set up another service for homeless people who have really complex needs, in terms of mental health and addiction. During covid, because hostels weren’t really taking these people in, we saw a lot of homeless people without support and without appropriate accommodation.

“As a result, we set up a service within the city providing specific support for people with really complex needs who had found themselves homeless.

“That service is continuing because there is a massive need for it at the minute and non-standard accommodation has also become a big issue.

“We are trying to ensure that everybody who is homeless within the city and district has an opportunity to get support and help and find appropriate accommodation.”

Sandra described all of the FHASS services as being “under huge strain”.

She added: “We are facing into a major homelessness crisis. All of our services are under huge strain, with more and more people coming looking for services.

“Not only that, more and more people are coming with really difficult issues. Before we wouldn’t have seen the same level of issues we are seeing now. All the staff working across our projects are absolutely working above capacity.

“FHASS is based in Bishop Street and we have Damien House on Foyle Road and Shepherds View  - a young parents’ project in Shepherds Glen in the Waterside.

“We also have a care leavers project in Francis Street and a hostel in Strabane.

“In addition, we  have what we call floating support services which means FHASS workers are out supporting people within the community, people who are in temporary accommodation, people who are in non standard accommodation and people who have been homeless and then have got their own accommodation.

“We try to help them set up that accommodation, support them in doing that so they don’t end up back in the homeless cycle.”