25 November 2008

The Junior League of London Puts a Fresh Coat on Life at a Centrepoint Service for Homeless Young People

From the outside it looks like any other house along any street in Camden, but inside is a Centrepoint service where homeless young women are working to make a better life for themselves. Centrepoint staff work tirelessly to provide support with skills development, learning and work, for homeless young people so there is little time to dedicate to house maintenance and repair.

But with its able-bodied volunteers, the Junior League of London spent two days in October and November scraping, cleaning and painting the staff kitchen, a main hallway and two resident bathrooms.  In addition to freshening up the walls, this project seemed to have a positive impact on the residents’ outlook.  According to Jane Hutt, Centrepoint staff member, the young people were “happy to see work that is making their home more modern and a nicer environment to live in.” Junior League volunteers shared the feeling and the League is already committed to come back at the end of the month to paint a resident bedroom and an additional hallway.

Says Christine Mohrmann, Community Vice President, the Junior League of London: “Partnering with Centrepoint has not only provided our volunteers with a meaningful experience, but exposure to the challenges these young people face.  We look forward to exploring other volunteer opportunities with Centrepoint to help homeless young people reach their potential.”

About the Junior League of London

The Junior League of London is a UK registered charity comprised of women committed to promoting voluntary service, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. A member of the Association of Junior Leagues International and active in London since 1978, the JLL has over 400 volunteer members who provide more than 20,000 hours of service to the community each year through dedicated programmes that support its vision of eliminating poverty and its effects in London. The JLL raises funds through Boutique de Noel (3-4 November 2009), a book for recent arrivals to the capital called Living in London, a week-long shopping event in the Spring (6-15 March 2009) called London Spree, corporate giving, grants and members’ dues.
To learn more about the Junior League and its community projects, to buy tickets to Boutique de Noel in 2008 or a 2009 London Spree Card, to purchase a copy of Living in London, or to find out about the JLL’s next New Members’ Course for volunteers – visit www.jll.org.uk or phone the Junior League office on 020 7499 8159.

Registered Charity Number: 1103298   Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England No 5045667

About Centrepoint

– Centrepoint is the national charity working to improve the lives of socially excluded, homeless young people. It provides a range of accommodation based services, including emergency night shelters and short stay hostels, specialist projects for care leavers, ex-offenders, young single parents, foyers and supported flats and floating support services.
– Centrepoint houses over 800 16 – 25 year olds each night of the year. Since the charity was founded in 1969, it has helped over 70,000 homeless young people, with 29 services in and around London and six in the North East of England.
– Centrepoint’s Patron is HRH Prince William; who took over the role from his mother the late Princess Diana.
– Centrepoint is registered charity number 292411.
– For more information, please visit: www.centrepoint.org.uk