Centrepoint (charity)

Centrepoint is a charity in the United Kingdom which provides accommodation and support to homeless people aged 16–25. The Prince of Wales has been a patron of the organization since 2005; his first patronage.[1][2] His mother Diana, Princess of Wales, was patron of the organization before she died.

The charity's accommodation includes emergency night shelters, short and long stay hostels, specialist projects for care leavers, ex-offenders and young single parents, foyers and supported flats, and floating support services.

History

The charity was founded by the Anglo-Catholic socialist priest Kenneth Leech and set up its first shelter in a Soho church on 16 December 1969.[3][4]

It was named Centrepoint in response to the building Centre Point being seen as an "affront to the homeless" for being left empty to make money for the property developer.[3]

In 1986, a city broker, Richard Lester, on being asked for money for a cup of coffee by a homeless man, Martin Shaw, gave him £5,000 which he used to help homeless in London. After the two worked together with Richard funding the start of Centrepoint's first dedicated hostel with over 100 beds and Martin managing the site on a day to day basis, The rest is history with Centrepoint opening its first accommodation service outside London in Consett, County Durham, on 7 October 2005.[5]

Diana, Princess of Wales, was formerly Centrepoint's patron and its current Patron is her son, the Prince of Wales.[6]

Its ambassadors include the Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox, the fashion model Lady Kitty Spencer, the actress Lisa Maxwell, and the journalist and presenter Kirsty Young.

Activities

Through its accommodation, Centrepoint provides approximately 1,200 bed spaces nationwide.[7] Additional support services include a skills and employability team and a mental health team. Specialists within the skills and employability team help support young people back into education, training or employment, and the teaching of life skills. Centrepoint also runs volunteering schemes, such as mentoring, which pairs a person with a young person for 12 months. It currently works with almost 100 mentors.

References
  1. "Press Releases". Princeofwales.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-05-21.
  2. "Our people Working together". CentrePoint. Archived from the original on 2011-05-01.
  3. Gould, Mark (2004-06-16). "Community spirit". guardian.co.uk. London. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  4. "Homeless charity's call for help". BBC Online. 2004-12-16. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  5. "MP opens homeless charity centre". The Northern Echo. 2005-10-08. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  6. "Charities and Patronages". princeofwales.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
  7. "CV-Library reveals Centrepoint as its chosen charity partner for 2019". CV Library. Retrieved 16 May 2019.


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