Client projects

Elmore works with existing and previous clients to deliver small-scale projects designed to raise awareness and increase understanding about complex needs and related issues at local, regional and national levels.

Anti-stigma Project

The one-year Anti-stigma Project raised awareness of complex needs issues among local Thames Valley Police services and council housing departments. Clients undertook training and then delivered presentations about the challenges they face when interacting with the organisations. The Project was funded by Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust.

Other recent client projects include:

• Our No Place Like Home Project trained clients who have experience of homelessness to deliver presentations in local schools. Project participants talked to older schoolchildren about the realities of being homeless and sleeping rough. The Project was funded by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.
• Survey into rough sleepers for Shelter.
• Meeting with Ministry of Justice to look at new policy protocols.
• Call for evidence campaign led by St Mungos.
• Work linked to Revolving Doors young people forum.
• Speaking at Oxford City Council conference on difficulties of housing people who have complex needs.
• Feeding into consultations on day service provision in Oxford City.

Feedback from project participants

“I feel I have helped to try and get a better understanding of homelessness and homeless people, while also trying to help prevent more young people becoming homeless and helping them understand the danger of life on the street. Even when life seems hopeless, there are always choices out there for people to make an informed decision.”

“The whole idea is great. It has made me think more about how my life turned out the way it did. It also showed the need for information about homelessness, as most school-age children only know what they see on TV. It is also good that people who've lived on the streets can advise on the dangers and the ways it can be avoided, and that there are places that can help.”

“In most cases, there are ways to avoid this life… it's not a game, people die. Hopefully when teenagers see ‘real people’ talking about their experiences it make them think and maybe stops some of them ending up like we did. It's good that we get the chance to pass on our experiences and maybe change some of their minds about what homeless is.”

“It helps me think of my past life, how I used 21 years of my life to drugs making me homeless, no money, meeting people who just wanted to use me for drugs. Drugs did give me confidence, which seemed good at the time. Now I'm clean my confidence is true not fake, which is a good thing.”

“[The Project] opened my mind to the reality of what my life was like on the streets, and how it affected me mentally and physically.”