HOUSE OF HEROES
Equipment to
refurbish the project's kitchen
Project
Background
The House of
Heroes Trust was born from the vision of David and
Margaret November who had lived and worked with
drug-addict worker Jackie Pullinger in Hong Kong. Their
vision is to actively help people with drug and alcohol
problems to come off the streets and to enable them to
transform their lives in order to leave as independent and
economically sufficient. They bought the Ovis Farm site in
North Devon in the 1980s, made it their home in the 1990s
and by 2002 had transformed it into the centre that is
used today.
Project Aims
The aim is to
provide supported accommodation for homeless men, who are
serious about wanting to turn their lives around. The House
can hold up to eight men at any one time, and these men are
referred almost entirely from the catchment area of
Devon. Men are taken in for a year long programme, in which
they are thoroughly integrated into the working life of the
farm. They undertake regular duties feeding the chickens,
sheep and cattle, are responsible for the upkeep of the
grounds surrounding the house and take charge of the large
vegetable garden. They are also responsible for the upkeep
of the house, though supervised by the staff, and take it in
turns to to cook, whilst being given instruction in
preparing meals and food hygiene.
A RECENT TESTIMONY
Paul’s
Testimony
“I’m Paul, a young 25 year
old lad who has been drifting in and out of prison for the
last ten years or so. I’ve been through quite a bit
really. I’ve witnessed a close friend actually blow off
his head with a shotgun, which sent me off the rails. I’ve
also lost a number of friends through drugs, accidents and
suicides. The most recent was my 16 year old sister nearly
two years ago. After this, the drugs took hold of my life.
I was at my worst
smoking around £300-£400 of crack cocaine every day or
two. This caused me to go out burgling shops, sheds,
caravans and houses, sometimes just for the adrenaline
rush of it.
I come from
Pembrokeshire in Wales. I was wanting to correct my
life ever since my sister died, but couldn’t find a
way out of my ordeal. So last November I stole a car,
drove up to some police officers who were sat in a
police car on duty, and started spinning in front of
them and sticking my fingers up at them to get them to
arrest me. All because I couldn’t go on living like I
was. A bit extreme I know.
But somehow God brought
me here to Ovis, as He probably saw the mess I was
in. Ever since I’ve been here, my depression has gone
and I have stability for the first time in years. I am
on a work and support programme and am starting to get
my life back on course. For the first time in years,
I have hope for the future.”
HOW YOU HAVE HELPED
The money that you
have given through The Besom has been used to purchase a
whole range of fittings: storage units, surfaces, drawers,
sinks and lighting in order to completely re-furbish the
kitchen. Food preparation and hygiene is one of the most
vital skills taught to these men in preparation for
independence, as well as the fact that the kitchen is a hub
of the community and friendship there. The improved kitchen
will make a very positive difference to the ongoing hard
work of the project.
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