Welcome to our May blog post. It’s been another busy month here at Cyrenians so read on for all our news.

We are very pleased to announce that we’ve just taken on a new three bedroom property in the city centre so we now have four working houses. Residents in a working house have jobs and pay an affordable rent but aren’t yet in a position to access accommodation in the private rental sector. They need low-level support with issues such as budgeting and getting out of debt so they aren’t living from pay cheque to pay cheque, with the ultimate aim of being able to move into their own accommodation.

Regular readers of this blog will remember our Sudanese resident who has been attending an English adult learning course to help with his language skills and integration. He has been so motivated to build his skills and to job hunt proactively. Shanice, our Meaningful Activities Worker, has helped him to write his CV and to complete job applications. We’re delighted to say that he recently took up a job in security work. This gives him the chance now to shape his future, to be part of a community, to make new friends and ultimately to find his own home.

Down on the allotment, the recent sunshine and rain have helped everything to grow. This month we are focusing on one of our regular volunteers Jo.

Jo says the allotment is a great place to be for everyone, no matter their knowledge or green-fingered ability! She enjoys visiting and having a chin wag with the allotment group, who she told me have a wide range skills and specialities from magnificent wild birders to expert seed sowers and diggers.⠀⠀When talking about the benefits of volunteering, Jo felt it is important to highlight the sense of community and forming bonds within volunteering. Jo also highlighted the wide range of people who visit, who may not cross paths elsewhere but come together to enjoy their space. The allotment was a perfect fit for Jo, who is passionate about nature and organic gardening. She says that it is utterly fantastic, and the project fulfils a lot of different needs. Every time she comes down, Jo makes a feel for the vibes that day and uses that to decide how she’ll communicate with the group, whether that means she’ll be catching up on the weeks’ events or providing an empathetic ear for those who are struggling.

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Our grateful thanks go to Mills & Reeve who hosted a 2km rowing challenge fundraiser. So many supporters came on board with this, Nuffield Health lent the rowing machines, several corporate teams signed up for the competition and the University of Cambridge Boat Race Men’s and Women’s teams came along to set the pace. Everybody’s sterling efforts raised £1,500 which will go towards our allotment project and to helping residents access education and training opportunities.

Our football team trained hard for this year’s Tommy McLafferty Cup and really enjoyed the contest, winning several games. One of our volunteers, Laurent, won the “Goalkeeper of the Year” award.

If you want to donate to help us continue the work you do, you can do so here https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/donation/to/9790/Cambridge+Cyrenians