Catching Lives Latest News: July 2025
- Catching Lives
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Fresh Clothes, Fresh Start
This July, we’ve launched a £3,000 fundraising appeal to replace one of our industrial washing machines that is coming to the end of its life.
A generous donor has offered to match fund every £1 of the ‘Fresh Clothes, Fresh Start’ appeal, which means every donation up to £1,500 will be doubled.
Clean clothes help people to maintain their dignity and well-being while homeless. Alongside showers, our laundry service is a vital part of the day centre.
As well as clients washing their clothing and bedding, we wash towels from the showers, and aprons and tea towels from the kitchen. Last year, we did almost 3,000 loads of laundry - we have to use commercial machines to cope with demand.
Please help us reach our goal. Donate here.
We're Hiring
We are recruiting more Locum Project Workers to the Catching Lives team.
Locum Project Workers support the smooth running of the day centre, especially during our morning drop-in sessions. The role includes practical tasks (e.g. helping people to access food, laundry and bag storage services), alongside engagement with people using the service to create a friendly, safe and welcoming space.
Employed on a zero hours contract, Locum Project Workers are offered occasional shifts throughout the year to cover for staff holidays or other absence. We offer paid induction, core training and clear organisational policies. Locums always work as part of a team, so it's a great way to develop skills and experience in a small community charity. Perhaps you're looking for occasional work alongside studies or other commitments, or finding employment after time out, or thinking about a career change - we'd love to hear from you!
Also, Catching Lives' Chair, Matt Reed, will be stepping down in November at the end of a highly effective and much appreciated three-year term. As a result, we are starting recruitment for a new Chair alongside general Trustees to join our friendly and engaged Board.
Donating items to Catching Lives
At Catching Lives, we welcome your generous donations to help people experiencing homelessness.
These are the items we need most at the moment: baked beans, shaving cream, hairbrushes, plasters, summer socks (men and women), men's underwear S/M/L, men's t-shirts (long & short sleeved), joggers and jeans S/M/L, weatherproof sleeping bags and tents, wet dog food, squash, refillable water bottles, sugar, coffee (caff/decaf), biscuits, chopped tomatoes, detergent pods, cocoa powder, cooking oil, Instant cappuccino/mocha/latte sachets, strong holdalls/weekend bags.
We also have an Amazon wishlist or welcome financial donations via JustGiving.
Please bring donations to our Day Centre in Station Road East any day any time between 9am and 4pm (up to 1.30pm on Wednesdays).
Meet the volunteers
Our Meet the volunteers feature celebrates the amazing people at the heart of Catching Lives. Neil Sloman has been volunteering with us for about eight years, including at fundraising events (as pictured). He volunteers in our kitchen every Friday and we would be lost without him!
How did you hear about the volunteering opportunity?
I heard about the volunteering opportunity because a friend was already volunteering and recommended the organisation.
Why choose Catching Lives?
Because it is a fantastic well-established organisation with supportive staff, a clear sense of purpose and it provides rewarding volunteering opportunities as well as an incredible record of supporting clients in the community.
What are some joys you have experienced since starting with Catching Lives?
During the time that I’ve worked at CL I have witnessed clients achieving really significant and positive improvements to their lives. I was involved in helping to stage a photographic exhibition of clients’ work and it was wonderful to see the pride that they clearly felt at seeing their work framed and in a public gallery. I am particularly happy because CL is now closely working with ‘Streets Ahead’, an arts initiative in Canterbury City Centre which is run by an ex-colleague of mine from Canterbury College Art Department.
On a daily basis, it is a pleasure to greet and chat to clients who are invariably friendly and genuinely appreciative of our efforts. Personally, working at CL has been hugely rewarding, not only because of the contact and feedback we get from clients but also because we often have such fun as volunteers. I have been part of some fantastic teams over the years and it is particularly rewarding to work with people of all ages and backgrounds. It has been a life saver for me and a great way of maintaining the social contact and team spirit that I enjoyed in my previous career.
What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering with Catching Lives?
I would certainly recommend volunteering for the reasons I I have already stated. Most of my work has been in the kitchen and I have learnt a lot about cooking as a result! It is hard work but very fulfilling at the end of a successful shift when everyone has been well fed. There are other work opportunities too in the organisation and volunteers are given excellent training and support by the permanent staff at CL who are a great bunch of people.
Outside of Catching Lives, how do you like to spend your time?
During my previous career I worked as a lecturer in this country and abroad. I was an English teacher in Morocco for three years and latterly worked at Canterbury College in their Art Department where I taught Art History and Photography. I have a darkroom at home and enjoy black and white photography and printing.
I’m very involved with an organisation called ‘Free Range’ which puts on music and arts events in Canterbury and I play saxophone in the ‘Free Range Orchestra’ as well as in other groups.
Apart from that I enjoy cycling and walking in the mountains whenever I get the opportunity. My wife and I have five children and eight grandchildren between us so they keep us very busy too!
Volunteering Stats for July
A big thank you to all our volunteers! And a big well done to Rosie, Graeme and the kitchen team for achieving a 5-star hygiene rating from the Food Standards Agency in a recent kitchen inspection.
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who took part and raised money at The King’s Mile in June, thank you to Old Wives Lees and Wye Village Community Choirs for your Summer Song Concert. Thank you to everyone who has run workshops and activities for our clients. Thank you to everyone who has donated including Canterbury Academy Trust, Herringbone, Stafford House, and the Black Griffin for their DJ event.
For more regular updates, please do keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Instagram for more updates until we write to you again in August.
