Safe spaces

Kindness and a safe space can make all the difference to someone living in poverty, struggling with their mental health or fighting to fit into a system. We understand this because not only do we work in these communities but we’re also from them and have our own first-hand experiences.

So as an organisation built to support people through this and find solutions to reduce these issues, we foster community building and strong relationships among our participants so that no matter what someone faces, we will be stronger together.

Our safe spaces come in all shapes and sizes across East Middlesbrough and they offer adults and young people the chance to learn and do - all while contributing to the growth and strength of their community. It all starts at home, and as we receive more requests every day for more affordable rents and well-maintained houses by providers that people can trust to support them, we’re building on our current housing scheme to provide more of this.

With over a decade of experience successfully supporting and housing those in recovery from substance misuse issues, a significant number of whom have previously been through the care system, we have developed a support model with a better chance of providing a positive environment for people to build a successful and sustainable future for themselves.

For a home to be a safe space it doesn’t just require affordable rents and a lack of mould, people need to know they can pay for it, so we also work with individuals to find and access work or government support if work isn’t an option. We often invite guest speakers to share information on how to stay safe online, manage finances, access the right energy tariffs etc, whatever is needed to make sure everyone can independently sustain a healthy and safe lifestyle with a roof over their head.

Our volunteer activities like Digging Deep provide a great way to stay healthy both physically and mentally, while building on the things that impress potential employers too. Digging Deep and some of our other activities are a great way to socialise, learn new things, and not only is it helpful for personal growth but through self-care, as a community we’re also contributing to the creation of another safe space where other people can connect in a supportive, friendly environment.

We offer both indoor and outdoor activities for both adults and young people, together and separately because a safe space for one person might be the opposite to another. We understand mental and physical health can have an impact too which is why we see the whole person.

The allotment offers an opportunity to learn how to grow our own fruit and veg, helping people find cheaper and healthier ways to cook and feed themselves or their families. It also helps the environment because it reduces food waste by harvesting only what we need which makes it fresher, and the carbon footprint of the produce by travelling less miles.

“Not only is this a safe outdoor space for our volunteers but the skills they are then sharing back into their community are helping others to build more positive futures.”

Amongst our community groups we have people who have children or people they care for, which may mean more flexibility is required to make things work for them. That’s why we are doing all we can to ensure we’re able to keep Pavilion Nursery open. It’s been a rollercoaster couple of years with low attendance since the pandemic, and even with all our efforts working with various partners and organisations to find a solution and attract new families, it’s been a struggle to increase the amount of people who use the nursery. We’ve built on our before and after school activities along with dementia friendly and SEN activities, to support the need for flexible solutions for families and carers. And since an increase in attendance from the Easter holidays we’re feeling very positive about the future, so we can keep providing yet more safe spaces where young people can find the nurturing they need to thrive, and carers can access support they need.

We believe in the power of creative expression to improve mental health and wellbeing so our goal is to create a safe and supportive environment where people can explore their emotions and develop coping skills. We also work to prevent anti-social behaviour in local communities by empowering young people to make a difference. Not only does this give the young people a safe space to have a voice but it means the community feel safer and more connected.

“Everyone should have an opportunity to become a fully realized person, with ideas, thoughts, and experiences which matter, and a future limited only by their imagination.”