Bristol Mayor visits Salvation Army centre for homeless people

The Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees visited a Salvation Army centre that is part of a city-wide partnership aimed at helping local men who are homeless to get their lives back on track. Staff and residents at the Logos House Lifehouse on Wade Street were delighted to meet with the Mayor and show him how the centre is providing support as part of a new partnership to prevent homelessness in Bristol.

The coordinated approach from Bristol City Council involves The Salvation Army, St Mungo’s, Second Step and Addiction Recovery Agency, and other agencies working together as part of the Bristol Pathway. Bristol Pathway focuses on four pathways to recovery: men-only accommodation led by The Salvation Army at Logos House, mixed accommodation led by Second Stop, women-only accommodation led by St Mungo’s and substance misuse Housing led by ARA.

Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, said: “I am committed to reducing rough sleeping and all forms of homelessness in Bristol but this is an issue that we cannot solve alone and requires a partnership approach.

During my visit to Logos House, I met people who are benefitting from the specialised support The Salvation Army is providing as part of the Bristol Pathway, so that they can rebuild their lives and move out of being homeless. He added: “Logos House is delivering the kind of long-term initiative we need in Bristol to get to the real root causes of homelessness and make a difference where it counts. It was a privilege to be able to make that visit.” During his visit on Friday 12 January, Marvin Rees met Logos House residents including Eddie Cleaver and Michael Higgins and chatted to them about their experiences of homelessness and the support they get at Logos House.

Eddie Cleaver, 47 said: “I’d been in and out of hostels and flats and drinking heavily for most of my life. Before I came to Logos House, I’d been sleeping rough in a car park for three months and fallen in with people who were taking crack and heroin. Now I am at Logos House, I feel calm and safe and supported. Logos House gives me all the support and help that I need and that boosts me up."

Michael Higgins, 58, said: “I ended up becoming homeless and was sleeping rough for over a month. I came to Logos House to get the support I needed to get off the street and I’m happy to be at Logos House because I’m now getting the help and support that I need.”

Logos House Lifehouse supports single men to escape the cycle of homelessness through supported accommodation, education and skills programmes, music, arts and gardening activities and addiction recovery services. More than a bed for the night, the centre works with residents to rebuild their confidence and equip them to move into a new, permanent home.

Logos House Service Manager, Richard Sayer, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol, to our centre and to introduce him to our staff and residents. We aim to provide a safe environment, where residents are supported to rebuild their lives and break the cycle of homelessness.

“This new partnership increases the ability of our centre to respond to homelessness in Bristol and is an expansion of the support already offered by The Salvation Army as a church and charity in the city through our local churches, community programmes and employment services.”