Positive Pathways
CUF launched ‘Positive Pathways’ in 2018. Working with local delivery partners across Yorkshire and Middlesbrough, the project was set up as an outreach project giving people experiencing homelessness the encouragement and help to access safe spaces, engage with one-to-one support and guiding them through their housing options where needed.
The project was a success and in 2023 it reached it fifth and final year. This project, however, only scratched the surface on the ever-growing problem of homelessness within the UK. It was clear that the guidance, support and expertise offered by CUF was still needed.
Our original project had successfully delivered relational support to1000’s of people at their time of need in the Yorkshire and Middlesbrough area, and this work needed to continue.
With the continued support of Liz and Terry Bramall and The Bramall Foundation, the second iteration of Positive Pathways was agreed. Positive Pathways Two (another five-year project) was successfully launched in 2023 with five of its original partners. Our partners carry a Christian ethos and share our vision and values around helping those suffering at the hands of homelessness.
Stories of hope
"He is a great worker and we are lucky to have him.”
For the next iteration of Positive Pathways, we have be focusing on one-to-one relational support for people who are at the point in their journeys where they are ready to move on. Our partners are helping to continuing to break the cycle of homelessness by offering beneficial support to those ready to maintain their tenancies and live a successful and fruitful life.
We often find that support is unavailable to those who need it the most, and so all our delivery partners have grown the level of support they are able to provide to clients who have secured their own tenancies or are in the process of securing their own tenancies. As we moved forward away from the challenges that covid presented, all our partners are now able to operate at the capacity needed to make a success of the project. Guidance and practical assistance at these crucial transition times can stop people from re-entering the cycle of homelessness.
A large part of Positive Pathways is to provide increased opportunities for clients to grow their skills, and work towards entering the world of work. Some of our Positive Pathways partners offer social enterprise , providing clients with volunteering opportunities. Where appropriate, clients will also be able to volunteer as peer mentors, providing a mutually beneficial relationship to other service users. Delivery partners will also support clients to access external work and volunteering opportunities as well as offering opportunities within their own projects for clients with ‘lived experience’, to be able to give back to their local community.
Our ambition for Positive Pathways two is to see more of our clients settled into longer-term accommodation across Yorkshire and Middlesborough. We wish to see clients receiving the support they need to thrive within their communities and being able to contribute to their communities in return through employment and volunteering.