The Salvation Army, which is the largest single provider of accommodation for homeless people in the UK, is giving the public a chance to see what goes on in one of their homeless centres via a virtual tour.

|TOP|The Salvation Army provides more than 3,000 places for homeless men, women and families every day in the UK alone.

A virtual tour can be seen online and lasts for approximately 90 seconds, and is being launched to mark Homelessness Sunday on Jan 29th, 2006.

Homelessness Sunday is being run by the Homelessness Sunday Partnership, and is bringing together thousands of churches in unity.

The Salvation Army states it is keen to emphasise that the care and support offered in residential centres is a key factor in preventing homelessness and helping people to cope with living independently.

The centre revealed in the virtual tour is the Edward Alsop Court in Westminster, London. The centre was opened in 1996 and allows 112 men accommodation, and offers life-skills training, support and the opportunity for clients to part in education courses.

Major Ray Irving, Deputy Director for Social Services said, “The majority of people will hopefully not need to be accommodated in a Salvation Army homeless centre, or ‘hostel’ as people used to call them, but may have fixed ideas about what they are really like.

|AD|“We run 62 residential centres for homeless people in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and our centres are vibrant, modern and inviting places where homeless people not only find accommodation but also enjoy life in community and learn skills to help them in the future. Some people may have an old-fashioned idea of Salvation Army centres and what happens inside and our ‘virtual tour’ may help to dispel some of those myths.”

Major Raelton Gibbs, the Salvation Army Homelessness Officer said, “Most of our centres offer various types of accommodation from single rooms with food in communal areas, to self-catering flats. Most centres also offer a series of courses in life skills so that people can learn to look after themselves. These are real places of change where people can really see their lives turned around. Our resettlement work also helps people once they have moved out into community, to ensure that they remain happy and settled.

“Every day, staff in our centres are helping men and women get back on their feet, offering advice and support which we hope will eventually help our residents to live independently.”

Recently a report was published by the Salvation Army entitled, ‘A Home for All? - homelessness policy challenges for Labour’s Third Term’. The report found 7 areas where serious challenges should be overcome and addressed.

The report revealed results of a survey of homeless centres across the Salvation Army’s 50 centres for men and women:

Policy challenges
• 47% of clients in Salvation Army residential centres are ready to move out into their own accommodation, but cannot do so due to a chronic lack of social housing.

• 46% of Salvation Army residential clients have an addiction problem.

• 69% of clients had slept rough, with nearly a quarter of these doing so for more than 6 months.

The Salvation Army was quick to point out that social service centres in the UK are just a section of the wider works that go on.

A large number of Salvation Army churches and communities across the country do offer support for homeless people. Sixty centres are currently offering regular activities and services including drop-in and advice sessions.