The Domus Project is a brand new initiative to raise awareness and money to help the homeless in Canterbury. The project came about as the brainchild of 14 year old Livvy Parsons. She had been inspired by hearing Germaine Greer speak at the Gulbenkian theatre last year. Having recently been involved with fundraising for Amnesty International, Livvy already knew that was possible to make a difference, but she felt that she would like to do something that would help people in her locality. Every day, as she passed through Canterbury on her way to school, Livvy was shocked and upset to see the sheer numbers of homeless people on the streets of the city.

After meeting with the staff of the Canterbury Open Centre and finding out more about the situation, she set up the Domus Project and on Saturday 31st July she launched the new charity initiative. Her plan is simple: to raise money and awareness using the skills and talents of family, friends and local people. Livvy had begun by asking her god father, writer Mark Stewart-Jones, to edit The Guttersnipe Journals, the true story of a young man known to her family who slept rough in our city for three years. Mark generously offered to donate the proceeds of his latest novel A Difficult Age to the cause too; the project was then well and truly on its way.

For the afternoon event held at St Mary Bredin Hall, the Domus Project asked that all those attending should should make a donation of a sleeping bag, and a most impressive collection piled up in front of the stage, where a live blues band entertained the crowd. Amongst those in attendance, Canterbury MP Julian Brazier arrived early and donated a sleeping bag in person to Livvy.

In addition to the sale of the books, there was an exhibition of donated painting and photography, a film and music presentation and a talk from the staff of Catching Lives, whose work the Domus Project is supporting. Delicious teas and home made cakes, also kindly donated, went down a treat.

In a memorable and very emotional speech, Livvy thanked everyone for supporting the cause. She reminded those attending that five homeless people had died in Canterbury this year, and added “If next year we find out that even one less person has died we can all know that we have helped.” She encouraged people to give generously and told those attending, “When you get home today you can tell yourself that you have made a difference.” Later she announced that in addition to providing over 40 sleeping bags – sufficient for what some sources estimate to be the number of rough sleepers in Canterbury the afternoon had raised over £800. She emphasised the fact that, because the Domus Project relies entirely on donated time and goods, there are no administrative costs and so every single penny goes directly to help the homeless.

The Guttersnipe Journals and A Difficult Age will now go on sale at The Book Palace in Palace Street, Canterbury, and Livvy is hoping that the people of Canterbury will continue to show that they too want to make a difference by their generous support for the Domus Project.

THE GUTTERSNIPE JOURNALS edited by Mark Stewart-Jones
ISBN 9781452026978

I am not homeless – I’m just someone who can’t go home.

With these words, the young man known as Guttersnipe begins his account of two years spent living on the streets of Canterbury.

Among the struggles he must face every day there is one that he never anticipated: that of boredom and how to occupy his time. Acting on a friend’s advice on how to combat this problem, he begins to write his thoughts down each day. He records his observations, his ideas, his memories and his own life story. The results are incisive, moving, funny and thought-provoking.

It is these writings that form the basis of The Guttersnipe Journals. The book, which is edited by Mark Stewart-Jones, is being published to raise money for the homeless in Canterbury via The Domus Project.

Guttersnipe agreed to have his story published on the understanding that his true identity would be unknown, as he is no longer on the streets and is now married and working in a steady job. It is a request that the Domus Project has honoured.

Guttersnipe’s story does not simply focus on the hardships that kept him apart from society – but rather he finds the common threads of human experience that bond us all together.

The book can be bought at The Book Palace in Palace Street, Canterbury, where every single penny it raises will go directly to the Domus Project to help the work of Catching Lives. Alternatively, the book is available from Amazon and all the usual internet outlets or directly from AuthorHouse or as an e-book.

A DIFFICULT AGE by Mark Stewart-Jones
ISBN 9781452026954

Mark Stewart-Jones is the author of Daughter (‘a beautiful book’), Every Other Inch a Gentleman (‘exuberant, deft and wildly funny - a daring, highly readable novel’), and An Ecstasy of Fumbling (‘absolutely brilliant – go out and buy it’). He is also Livvy Parsons’ god father.

He originally got involved in the Domus Project in March 2010 when Livvy asked him to edit The Guttersnipe Journals.

Just before this he had completed work on a new novel, A Difficult Age. One of the main themes of this novel is the clash between the generations – specifically those that grew up amid the idealism and radicalism of the sixties and what they perceive as the failings of the current generation. A Difficult Age highlights the contrast between what is often regarded as the complacency and apathy of today’s teenagers with the great revolutionary spirit of forty years ago.

So when Livvy came to Mark with her ideas for the Domus Project, she was in a very real sense addressing one of the chief issues of his novel. It seemed entirely appropriate under the circumstances that the book be published in recognition of Livvy’s aims and to raise money for her project.

He used AuthorHouse, rather than his usual publishers, so that the Domus Project could ensure that every single penny the book raised would be used to help homeless people in Canterbury. The book can be bought at The Book Palace in Palace Street, Canterbury, online via Amazon and all the usual internet outlets, directly from AuthorHouse or as an e-book.