Award-winning scheme to provide a secure postal service for Bath’s homeless population launches at Starbucks

01.05.2008 21:52:00

An award-winning scheme that allows Bath’s homeless people to receive their mail from a single point has been launched at Old Bond Street Starbucks coffee house.

MailCOACH will be run by The Drugs and Homeless Initiative (DHI), a local charity working with people who are homeless and those with drug and alcohol problems. The scheme recently received a £2,000 RSA Coffeehouse Challenge award for its set-up costs at a ceremony in central London.

The project provides anyone in the B&NES area that does not have a fixed home address for mail with a secure PO mailbox facility, giving them a point of contact with support agencies, training agencies and potential employers. This eases the path to gaining skills, employment and sustainable tenancies, and also makes it easier to vote.

The idea behind the MailCOACH Scheme came out of the RSA Coffeehouse Challenge in Bath which, this year, focused on moving homeless and vulnerable people from dependency to independence. Over 40 people from local authorities, community groups and members of the public joined in discussions over a four-month period.

The project was developed by RSA fellows, Rosie Phillips, the Chief Executive of the Drugs and Homeless Initiative (DHI), Peter Miles, from the Bath Abbey Initiative on Homelessness, and Jeff Mitchell, the Director of Clean Slate.

Rosie Phillips, from DHI, whose organisation will be hosting the scheme said:
“The ability to receive mail regularly is something we take for granted. For those people who have no permanent address this presents real difficulties. Some of the most vulnerable residents of Bath lose access to services and agencies that can assist them through missed appointment letters. Employment offers a realistic way out of homelessness but without a postal address applying for work is next to impossible. It will also allow people to exercise their right to vote and, perhaps most importantly, people will be able to keep in touch with family and friends and the support that this often provides. ”

Jeff Mitchell explained that:
“The transition towards work helps individuals gain self-esteem and the confidence to not only hold down a job but to deal with other issues keeping them homeless. It is vital that people get all the help and information they can at this time and so a reliable address where they can always get their post means we minimize the risk of them missing opportunities. Clean Slate was proud to help instigate the MailCOACH scheme.

Peter Miles from The Bath Abbey Initiative said:
"I'm delighted that MailCOACH is now up and running. The absence of a 'point of contact' was identified, by the RSA Coffee House Challenge, as one of five potential barriers to homeless people wanting to move on to a better life. The £2,000 Coffeehouse Challenge award and the decision of DHI to host the scheme are fantastic and, I'm sure, will ensure the success of MailCOACH. Much, however, remains to be done. In particular, to overcome those other potential barriers to homeless people wanting to move on highlighted by the RSA Coffeehouse Challenge: better liaison between employers, training agencies and support agencies to get people into training and employment; better advice on housing benefit, to circumvent possible disincentives to training and employment; better access to private rented accommodation; and access to the many empty properties in and around Bath, to provide homes for people in training and employment who are ready to move on."

Blair Malins, Starbucks Old Bond Street store manager, said:
“We are honoured to host the launch event of a scheme that was developed as part of the Coffeehouse Challenge. That’s what the discussions are all about: enabling people to come together to discuss local issues and giving them the means to take action.”

The mailboxes will be installed in the DHI offices in Milsom Street and then all people will need to do is register and collect an identity card to retrieve mail securely.
If you or someone you know would benefit from this scheme please contact DHI on 01225 329 411 to apply.

ENDS

Client name: Starbucks

Web link: www.starbucks.co.uk