Service description
The Barons Court Project provide daycentre for people in the borough that are vulnerable to mental ill health and homelessness. The service includes:
A drink and drug free daily open access Drop-In Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2-5pm that offers practical support in the form of showers, laundry and a cost-price café.
One-to-one support (by appointment) helping people with a wide range of issues such as benefits advice (including outreach and advocacy work). Service users also make appointments for help with budgeting, housing advice and emotional support.
Life skills day where services users sign up to take part in an eight- week programme of activities to help them live independently and help to manage their mental illness e.g. Cookery, IT, Arts & Crafts, and Living Skills
A Women's Group and a BME Group named the Green Palm Club.
Social activities away from the Project (i.e. trips to local amenities such as the theatre and museums).
Funded until
31 March 2025
Annual funding level
£45,000
In the past year...
At the beginning of 2020, the service got extra funding from Homeless Link to extend opening hours and was seeing up to 60 people per day until Baron's Court Project had to temporarily close due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Summer, BCP run a series of Pop Up Tennis sessions with professional tennis coaches with funding from The Queen's Foundation. This initiative brought people suffering from isolation together in a safe way.
Whilst the centre was closed, major building works took place, installing a second shower in the basement, 33 new windows, newly decorated offices, rooms and carpets. This has given the centre a more homely feel and brightened it up.
Number of residents supported
Over 200
Use of volunteers
The service's 30 volunteers delivered 1216 hours of work. This is the equivalent to £13,193, if the London Living Wage is applied to the volunteering hours.
Outcomes being achieved
From 20th March – 18th October the Project was closed with just a few exceptions, but staff worked with two guests to set up www.homelessmade.co.uk ; a new Social Enterprise creating greeting cards. where guests paint pictures that we turn into greetings cards. This creates an income for service users and Baron's Court Project, reducing financial hardship and making the organisation more self-sustaining, by the end of 2020 almost £4,000 profit had been made.
BCP created a Wellbeing Pack to send to service users and co-operated with Foodbank, Smile Brigade and Wormwood Scrubs (using a grant) to print and send out a further 2,500 copies through these organisations.
Focus is on meeting basic human needs and delivering 1-1 sessions at the project. Currently maintaining a mix of in person face to face services and remote support.
Funding raised
£360,284 (approximately)
Future plans
Currently reviewing the structure of BCP meet future funding challenges. Includes looking at what the service should be delivering and how it can move more services on-line and reach new groups of people, whilst maintaining core service to rough sleepers.
Consultant working with BCP to help with a strategy for the coming year.
Sourced funding for part time employment worker and a part time Social Enterprise Manager (new roles).