pathway project

2008 Vision for the Future

Enhancing services for single homeless people in Lincolnshire

The Past

The Nomad Trust was established in 1984 and worked for many years out of St Swithin's Church Hall offering food and basic shelter. The Hall was a Day Centre but overnight the bedding came out. Ten years on it was clear that more was needed and with support from the new National Lottery and local businesses, 15 Monks Road was purchased and converted to the Night Shelter, which opened in November 1997.

Another 12 years down the road we again need to move forward, to expand and enhance our facilities.

The Present

The current provision is split into 3 core services;

  • An emergency shelter offering accommodation to 12 men and 3 women in shared dormitory facilities, with one additional basement room with adjoining kennel facilities for a pet.
  • A resettlement service offering a 28 day support plan for all our clients, assisting them to find permanent accommodation and to help them obtain help with any issues including medical and financial support.
  • Day Services opening from 10.00 am till 2.00pm every day offering a free nutritional meal in a safe, warm and friendly environment.

Number 15 has an occupancy rate many hotels would envy - 85% overall but on many nights we have to turn people away. Rooms are shared, which can restrict the number of places available to either sex - one room is allocated to women, but as soon as there is a female occupant, all beds in that room are closed to men.

For many people, warmth and shelter is a desperate necessity, but the lack of privacy hinders more meaningful progress away from a life on the streets. Each year we find more settled accommodation for over 100 of our residents but we could do more and with more success if people were able to prepare themselves better before moving on.

Our service provides emergency assistance to some of the most socially excluded citizens, who may have spent many years struggling to break free of the cycle of homelessness. This is usually caused by personal trauma, often in childhood, which has led to feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. As a result of these long term problems around a third of our residents are returnees. In the last financial year 2006/07, 137 residents stayed with us at least once previously.

The Nomad Trust is committed to the long term provision of care to all homeless individuals regardless of the issues and challenges they face in their lives. We are passionate about improving our current premises and developing move on facilities to help some of our most challenging clients caught up in the cycle of homelessness.

Current Problems

Repeat Homelessness

Personal Dignity/Privacy

Lack of flexibility for fluctuating gender demand

Limited Space

News and Updates

 August 2010
Construction of the new building is expected to commence.

June 2010
The provision of emergency accommodation (currently delivered by Nomad) is up for tender as the current contract between Nomad and SP ends in February 2011. Framework and Nomad will bid jointly and the outcome is expected towards to end of the year.

Spring 2010
Framework of Nottingham was appointed as the designated RSL.

January 2010
Changes in legislation meant that ownership of the building had to be with an RSL (Registered Social Landlord).

September 2009
Beaumont Fee planning permission was obtained and plans agreed with Lindums.

June 2009
Planning permission for the Lytton street site was initially approved but a Town Green application by local residents meant that there would be a major delay whilst this was investigated. It was felt that there was a real prospect of the withdrawal of the grant as a result of a prolonged delay therefore it was decided to apply for planning for a secondary site on Beaumont Fee.

13th May 2009
Planning permission for the new centre has been applied for and we should know the outcome by the end of June 2009.

9th May 2008
The latest situation on the plan for improved facilities for the homeless of Lincoln has moved positively forward in recent months. A project team led by myself pulled together a bid to CLG (Communities and Local Government) earlier this year. In April it was announced that our bid was successful and funding has been made available for capital improvements. The challenge now is to seek an appropriate location with planning permission to turn this funding into a facility that will provide 21st century services and accommodation standards to our county's single homeless. A reminder to all out supporters is that this funding is for brick and mortar improvements only. As you have done for over 20 years, we will rely more than ever on your financial support to help us provide the support services vital to help the most vulnerable and excluded members of our community. If you want to be kept up to date with our latest developments, and receive our regular newsletter, please let us know through our 'contact us' page on this website.

12/02/2008                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Over the last 12 months, Staff and Trustees have been very busy planning a vision for the future for services for the Nomad Trust. A building has been identified in Lincoln that would mean dramatic improvements to the options available to the homeless of Lincolnshire. The building would increase capacity threefold and provide a single room for all our clients, improving their dignity and privacy. Services providing health, training, education and job seeking will all be available on site and would lead to much improved outcomes and a reduction in repeat homelessness. Funding from Central Government has been applied for to help make this plan a reality, and we will know if we have been successful with the bid in mid March 2008.

01/06/2007                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Our Vision for the future has been realised, we have ideas for Building plans, Operational forecasts and Capital programs. Building work has not yet commenced as a suitable property has not yet been decided. If anyone is interested in helping us with this project in any way especially with funding and properties please contact us or make a donation.

The Future

Stage 1 - Night Shelter
Our aim is to improve the emergency accommodation by developing the 15 Monks road site with the existing offices at 15a to offer single rooms with en suite facilities. One dormitory room would be retained. For some people this is the most appropriate accommodation.

Stage 2 - Moving On
Our clients are typically over thirty five years old, and have spent many years leading chaotic lifestyles. We would like to offer short term tenancies as a second stage ‘move on' facility in single occupancy rooms. These tenancies will allow for residents to be given fully supported accommodation.

The building will need to incorporate all the necessary facilities for basic life-skills training, medical facilities, mental health support, addiction support services, job search and educational opportunities. Many of these will be supplied by partnership working with various statutory providers. The new premises will supply the opportunity.

The provision of this 2 stage recovery accommodation will help to ensure that our homeless clients will be able to avoid losing their final permanent accommodation and therefore breaking the cycle of their repeat homelessness. For some, who come to Nomad before they have lost their grip on normal life it will enable them to avoid the trap altogether