Catching Lives Latest News: November 2025
- Catching Lives
- 12 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Gifting with purpose
This is your November update from Catching Lives. Somehow, December is nearly upon us and Christmas is in sight. Amid this busy season - from Black Friday to Secret Santas - we’re asking supporters to take a moment to consider gifting with purpose.
From shopping at the Catching Lives bookshop or purchasing a charity calendar to donating your spare gifts or supporting our Winter Appeal, there are so many ways to help people who are homeless this year.
Thank you for your continued support.
Trustee updates
This month, we said farewell to two of our amazing and long-serving trustees. Vice Chair Jason Hanford was first appointed as a trustee in 2017 and Chair Matt Reed, served as a trustee since 2022. We’re hugely grateful to Jason and Matt for their time and commitment, and the positive impact they’ve had by ensuring that Catching Lives continues to be here for people in our community experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
At our AGM, we welcomed four new trustees to the board: Laura Johnson, James Miller, Ella O’Sullivan and Vicky Thorburn, and appointed Natalie Archer and Fran Ellis as interim co-Chairs.
Recruitment for the new Chair of Catching Lives is continuing with support from Reach Volunteering. More information - the deadline is 5 December.
Canterbury Cathedral’s partner charity
Catching Lives has been chosen as Canterbury Cathedral's charity partner this year.
In a YouTube video the Dean of Canterbury The Very Reverend Dr David Monteith said: “We really want to highlight homelessness in our community. It’s getting worse, folks, as things get more difficult for everyone in society. Jobs are harder to find. It’s harder to find support. And our organisations and agencies are under pressure.
"So would you please give a little bit more this Christmas?"
Donations given at the Cathedral's two traditional Carol Services, and all their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services will - after deduction of costs - be shared equally between the Cathedral and Catching Lives.
Events coming up
This December, there are many events supporting Catching Lives. We will be launching an auction of promises with some fantastic prizes so keep an eye out for that - coming soon across our socials and website.
On Friday 12 December (5pm to 8pm), Saturday 13 December (10am to 6pm) and Sunday 14 December (11am to 5pm), Rock Paper Scissors is holding its annual Christmas market. Handmade by Catching Lives products will be on sale, including Christmas cards.
On Saturday 20 December, The Canterbury Singers are putting on Carols by Candelight at St Mildred’s Church at 3pm. The choir is also looking for new members. More details here.
Meet the volunteers
Our Meet the volunteers feature celebrates the amazing people at the heart of Catching Lives. Bill Hornsby started volunteering at the Catching Lives Bookshop in Spring 2024.
How did you hear about the volunteering opportunity?
My wife Sylvia alerted me to the request for more helpers which had been posted on the local social media.
Why choose Catching Lives?
It was an easy decision to offer to help. I had first been aware of the work of the charity, when it was known as ‘Canterbury Open Christmas’, back in the 1990s. At that time, Revd Ralph and Mrs Joan Scrine were seeking a permanent base from which to assist those without suitable accommodation. The former newspaper distribution warehouse, now ‘Palmer House’, became available and was adapted to provide the necessary facilities. I assisted, at that time, in supporting the move and helping with some fund-raising.
What are some joys you have experienced since starting with Catching Lives?
I have great pleasure in meeting the wide range of people who visit the Bookshop. In particular, the young readers who come to the counter clutching a handful of classic stories, or fantasy books, or collections of recipes have such obvious pleasure in finding their ‘treasures’.
There are also so many interesting reasons why visitors come to visit ‘The Crooked House’. Most notable, a few weeks ago, the ‘many times great-grandson’ of the original owner called in when tracing his family tree! The less busy periods of a duty allow time for interesting conversations with fellow-volunteers while stock is arranged and the shelves can be browsed looking for a ‘personal treat’.
Outside of Catching Lives, how do you like to spend your time?
Despite my strenuous efforts, my classical guitar refuses to produce the correct notes at the right time at the intended volume. The instrument has much to learn about my patient and determined nature!
What is your previous line of work/study?
I retired from full-time parochial ministry in April 2012 and now live in Canterbury. Before ordination, I spent 20 years or so as a self-employed wood-turner, operating a mail-order business, supplying the needs of lace-makers across the world. And before that, as a Registered Architect, I was an Associate with a large architectural practice specialising in commercial properties and highly-serviced buildings for pharmaceutical research facilities. It was as an architectural student, in the early 1970s, that I first attended for interview at an office in Palace Street, nearly opposite ‘The Crooked House’. Fifty years later, I continue to be surprised to be looking out on the same scene – changed but unchanging.
What are your passions/interests?
In addition to time spent at the Bookshop, retirement has provided greater opportunity for growing vegetables, bird-watching, archery, and simply ‘being Grandad’ to Joe and Holly.
November Volunteering in numbers
A big thank you to all our volunteers!
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who has supported us this month. One week in November, during bleak weather, the Catching Lives team were delighted to support two people move from rough sleeping into housing. Something else you might be interested to know, is that our youngest client is 18 and the oldest is 78. Also, in the past week, during the UN’s campaign to End Gender Based Violence, we’ve been highlighting on our social media how we support women who are homeless, particularly alongside our partner Rising Sun domestic abuse charity.
A particular fundraising highlight this month has been Dinyar Cooper’s scratch performance of Handel's Messiah, which raised more than £5,000 for Catching Lives. A big thank you to Dinyar and everyone who took part. Please get in touch if you’d like to organise a fundraiser.
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 December.
