(left to right)
Manager Angela Herbert introduces a resident to Lord
Mayor Councillor Roy Blower, Principal Guest Mrs.
Margaret Webster chats to George and the new dining room
Highwater House
officially opened
After years of planning and fund-raising, Highwater
House, our new registered care home for
22 homeless people with “dual diagnosis” (a mental
health and substance abuse problem) was officially
opened on 8 May 2008.
The Home was officially opened by Mrs. Margaret Webster.
Her Husband, Alan Webster, was the Dean of Norwich in
the early 1970's. He helped organise the first
Nightshelter out of which grew the organisation that
became St. Martins Housing Trust. Alan Webster
went on to become the Dean of Westminster Cathedral
before he and Margaret retired to Cley, North Norfolk.
Alan Webster died in January 2008.
During the
construction work, by local builder J.S. Hay, 16
residents continued to live in the bedroom block
which had been temporarily upgraded for the purpose.
Using the core of the existing project, local architects
Reynolds Jury designed an exciting, waterside
“fit-for-purpose” building. The construction was
project managed on behalf of the Trust by the Norwich
office of Quantity Surveyors Davis Langdon
The new building is light, bright and warm. It is
very energy-efficient and uses, for example, "sun tubes"
to bring natural light into enclosed spaces.
Highwater House now fully complies with
the Care Standards Act 2000, A Service Level
Agreement exists between the Trust and the care
commissioners – Norwich Primary Care Trust and Norfolk
Adult Services - to provide high standards of 24-hour
care for the residents..
Grants towards the £2 million project included £100,000
from the County Council, £300,000 from Norfolk Drugs and
Alcohol team, and £272,000 from the Government Office
for the East. Funds from local and national charitable
trusts and foundations were headed by a generous £250,000
from Norwich Consolidated Charities. The Geoffrey
Watling Trust chipped in with £25,000 and the Tudor
Trust with £50,000.
General Manager Derek Player said it was important to
note that the Trust's fund-raising efforts were still continuing.
" We really need another £100,000 to
complete Phase 2 on the site and launch our next project – a much-needed Health
Resource and Treatment Centre for single homeless
people. It is remarkable how many vulnerable
people are not registered with GP practices and tend to
rely on Accident and Emergency Units for their primary
care. This does not make sense. St. Martins
wants to provide a base for GPs, community nurses and
the like to offer sessions for this group"
Potential donors or anyone interested in the project can
talk to Derek on (01603) 667706. A gift aid form is
enclosed and further details about the project are
available from the Trust’s office.
Homelessness Charity Donors "So loyal"
Norwich-based homelessness charity
St. Martins Housing Trust have praised the loyalty and
generosity of their supporters and donors over the
Christmas 2007 period.
The charity, who provide a range of services to rough
sleepers and people on the verge of homelessness, have
announced the results of their annual street collection
in the days before Christmas. General Manager Derek
Player said that so far the total was "a fantastic" £43,000. He
explained this was made up of the contributions by
shoppers in Norwich city centre and almost 100
individual cash donations by church congregations, community
associations, schools, work groups and individuals
across the city and the county..
“Our fund raising efforts during the Christmas 2007 period
will all go towards the costs of furnishing and
equipping our new Care Home - Highwater House. I
am confident we will pass our £50,000 target for this
project at some point in January 2000. We are so grateful to groups and individuals
who think of us at this time of year. It’s a great tribute to the generosity of
the citizens of Norwich and Norfolk”.
We also had a great many gifts
brought to the office – more than ever before – and we
were able to play Father Christmas. For many of the
people known to us this was their only gift over the
festive period. It was heart warming and gives us all a
boost at St. Martins to kick-start the New Year”.
Press
release - 2 January 2008
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