Rotary Gorleston

At our Meeting on 1 November our speakers were Gaynor Collin and Lesley Fleming from the Herring House Trust a Charity set up in 1991 by a group of local people who were concerned at the rising numbers of homelessness in the town. A small team, were set up initially to provide B&B and temporary accommodation but following the purchase of a large building in the sea-front area and registration as a full Charity the project grew rapidly.

​

The aims of the hostel have always been to provide a 24 hour safe haven for homeless people in which to address their problems. It offers a key-worker system where all clients can be helped individually with issues such as obtaining state benefits finding employment and training needs. Each are offered a pathway to resettlement from a variety of difficulties as was clear from the excellent film shown to us which several of the residents had made themselves last year as one of their many regular activity programmes.

Following renovation and up-grading in 2012 all 27 rooms of the hostel were now en-suite mostly kept proudly and immaculately by the inmates and Gaynor was pleased to report that year a 4 bed High Support Unit was added to accommodate people who are seeking treatment for their substance dependency. With a staff of 20 offering a no-blame culture HSU clients first have to sign up for breathalysers and tests to maintain the hostel’s drug-free environment. Their stay in the HSU is flexible but usually for up to six months during which time those clients will be encouraged to move into another of the Trust’s community properties for a maximum of two years still supervised by the HSU trained staff. 

​

With regard to finance Business Manager Gaynor told us their income mainly came from benefits to which their clients were entitled (and not always claimed) but with recent cuts in grants the Trust were also heavily dependent on the generosity of the public and businesses for food donations and clothing. In this latter regard President John Shrimpton was pleased to hand over a cheque for £100 and the Chair of our Community Service Committee Spencer Green expressed confidence we would be able to help further in the months ahead.

​

The Club vote of thanks was given by John Jary and President John who we now know is on the Trust’s Board of Governor’s was pleased to announce he would be making them his chosen Charity for the year.