Catching Lives Latest News: August 2026
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
This is your August update from Catching Lives. As Harvest Festival approaches, we are asking our community to consider collecting essential supplies for Catching Lives, to ensure we can keep our pantry stocked and continue to provide vital support to people who are homeless.
Whether you are part of a school, church or community group holding a Harvest Festival collection, a local business planning an Autumn donation drive, or an individual wanting to help, every donation makes a difference. You can find out more about our most-needed items, and information about organising a collection here:
We have secured new funding!
We have some exciting news this month. We are very pleased to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Government's Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.
The funding will contribute to our 7-day service and will increase our capacity to work with people sleeping rough long-term, survivors of domestic abuse, and supporting people who are transitioning into housing.
We will be delivering our work in partnership with Rising Sun, a local domestic abuse charity. Fran Ellis, CEO of Rising Sun, said "At Rising Sun, we recognise that domestic abuse and homelessness are often deeply connected, creating significant barriers to safety, recovery and independence. By strengthening our partnership with Catching Lives, we can build on our shared commitment to ensuring that survivors experiencing homelessness receive the support, compassion and practical help they need."
We are excited to be able to work both within our centre and in the community to continue to offer wrap-around support for people who are homeless, working to prevent or end homelessness for more people in our community.
If you would like to find out more about the vital role of day centres in homelessness prevention and response, you can read this report by Housing Justice, where Catching Lives is featured as a case study.
Meet our new Project Worker: Maddy
This month we welcomed Maddy to our team as a Project Worker, working with clients at our day centre to help them move towards stability and improved wellbeing. We asked Maddy a few questions to get to know her better:
Tell us about your role
I am the new Project Worker. I work at the day centre helping clients access whatever they need to help them get back on their feet. I am also going to be transitioning more to focus on younger clients (18-25 year olds).
Why did you choose to work at Catching Lives?
I've always wanted to do something worthwhile and when I saw the application open for Catching Lives, I jumped at the chance to do something that actively helps others.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Meeting a wide range of people, being part of something much bigger than myself and having every day be something different.
Outside of Catching Lives, how do you like to spend your time?
I love reading, specifically fantasy and horror books. I like going on long hikes, especially up mountains and I love swimming too.
What was your previous line of work/study?
I have a psychology degree and have previously worked in hospitality.
What are your passions/interests?
I love animals, books and running. I especially love running while listening to an audiobook!
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a Project Worker at Catching Lives, you can read our blog post, A day in the life to find out more about a 'typical' day at the day centre.
Creative workshops with Canterbury Festival
This summer, we have enjoyed a series of ceramic sessions led by Miriam and Amanda as part of the Canterbury Festival. The workshops took place in our garden, where people created plaques that showcase each individual's style. Artwork ranged from florals, to fruits, to geometric patterns and boats. They will be used to decorate our garden space.
Thank you to Miriam and Amanda for delivering the sessions. We look forward to seeing the end results when they are out of the kiln!
Thank you!
This month, we said farewell to regular kitchen volunteer Neil, who has been helping out at Catching Lives for 9 years! Thank you Neil for all of your support over the years, you will be missed by clients and staff, and we wish you all the best.
Thanks to Barton Manor Grammar School who selected Catching Lives as one of their charitable causes and donated £2,826. Thank you to the King's School, who chose Catching Lives as their Charity of the Summer Term and raised £1,766.
Thank you to the very kind supporter who donated £300 so that we could buy a new fridge for our kitchen.
Thank you to the staff at the EE Store in Canterbury who collected essential items for our day centre, and helped to stock up our supplies of kitchen and hygiene items. If you would like to arrange a collection for Catching Lives, you can find our list of most-needed items here.
If you're planning a summer fundraiser and would like to support Catching Lives, find out everything you need to know here.
Keep in touch
For regular updates, please keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Instagram for more updates until we write to you again in September.
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