THE HOPE STREET CENTRE

Rose Street Car Park, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 1AJ

Tel: 01795 583824 Email: thehopestreetcentre@outlook.com

www.thehopestreetcentre.wordpress.com

What We Do: The Hope Street Centre Charity provides a range of valuable services to the local community. These include employment support, computer training, advice sessions, volunteering, work placements for adults with learning disabilities and other community led activities based on the needs of the community. We encourage wider learning opportunities through engaging residents with skills support to improve the development of participants softer skills such as confidence and motivation to enable them to feel less isolated and engage in activities within their community. More importantly, The Hope Street Centre is a place for people to come to feel valued and supported, and to be able to share their knowledge whilst meeting new people. Our centre is proud to provide a friendly and relaxed environment for local residents to come and talk to others about their lives and issues they may be facing.

Employment Support: The Hope Street Centre is committed to meeting the employability needs of those who need our support. Our employability projects include a regular Job Club. Due to the increased popularity of our CVs we now offer bookable appointments every Wednesday afternoon. Please drop in to our job club or contact us to book your CV appointment. The Job Club runs every Monday 1pm-3:30pm and every Wednesday 9:30am-12 noon in the Computer Room and provides:

• Support in creating e-mail accounts and updating existing CV’s
• Support in registering and feeling confident using on the Universal Job match site and assisted job search support in applying for local job opportunities
• Help sending and receiving e-mails
• Help with general forms and applications including PIP/DLA and Universal Credit

Blue Tree Social Club: The Blue Tree Social Club provides a friendly and social environment for adults with learning disabilities and long term health conditions within the community. We offer activities such as snooker, table tennis, cake making, computers, arts and crafts, bingo, jigsaws and board games. The club was set up to help adults with learning disabilities to build their confidence and make new friends whilst mixing with the community. The club is completely free and run by staff, carers and volunteers. The Blue Tree Social Club runs every Tuesday 1pm–3pm at Hope Street and every Wednesday 1pm-3pm at Sheerness Youth Centre in Meyrick Road, Sheerness.

Sport England: The Hope Street Centre was awarded a grant from Sport England to arrange sporting events for disabled and disadvantaged adults within Swale and surrounding areas. Most activities are free (some require a small deposit) and carers/family are welcome to come along. We aim to get different organisations working together and have our disabled adults working and socialising in the community.

The 3 main aims of the project are:

• Introducing adults to new sports and activities
• Encourage adults to try new things and meet new people, form friendships and get involved
• Encourage adults to feel part of the community and gain new life skills

We have already successfully covered trips to Whitstable and Sheerness bowling, Badminton, swimming, Snooker and Archery as well as some smaller group trips. We still have some trips to the Margate on the train, water sports, Ten pin bowling as well as smaller group activities.