Brighter Futures was proud to welcome the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Cllr Steve Watkins, and the Lady Mayoress, Cllr Lynn Watkins, as part of this year’s Starts at Home Day – a national campaign celebrating the long-standing impact of supported housing.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress were met by Maxine Bradbourn, Brighter Futures’ CEO and Daniel Baker, Director of Operations, who discussed the vital role supported housing plays in Stoke-on-Trent, the difference it makes to people’s lives, and the importance of continued investment in the sector.

Orchid Women’s Services

The visit began at Orchid Women’s Services, where they learned more about the drop-in service which provides a warm, trauma-informed space where women can access showers, refreshments, confidential support and community connection. They also learned about the night shelter and safe space which runs every night offering women safety, hot food and emergency beds. They spoke with colleagues, customers, and our partners at Changing Lives, hearing first-hand how partnership working helps vulnerable women experiencing homelessness, substance misuse, sex work, exploitation, trafficking and social isolation.

Hanley Connect and Rough Sleepers Team

The tour continued at Hanley Connect, Brighter Futures’ multi-purpose homeless hub which is ran in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress met with Brighter Futures’ colleagues and partners from CDAS. They heard how the hub brings services together under one roof, offering food, showers, healthcare, accommodation advice, mental health support, and financial guidance. They also met with Gill Butler, Community Support and Outreach Lead, to understand more about the dedicated rough sleepers outreach team, who provide support 365 days a year.

Brighter Kitchens

Next on the visit, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress called into Brighter Kitchens, a newly relaunched service making food more affordable, accessible, and community-driven. They met with Manager, Rachel and Volunteer, Dave, a long-standing tenant who gives up his time to help others along their journeys.

Brighter Kitchens brings together catering, low-cost food packages, and pop-up cafés under one name. It also provides affordable catering through Brighter Buffets, with all packages price-checked to ensure great value for customers and the wider community with funds feeding back into the community-driven service.

Hillcrest accommodation

Finally, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress toured Hillcrest, including a resident’s room and communal areas. They met the Homelessness Accommodation Team and learned about the intense support provided by the Assertive Caseworker team, funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. They were also introduced to the housing pathway that Brighter Futures provides, from supported accommodation through to more independent living.

Reflection on the visit

Speaking about the visit, Maxine Bradbourn, CEO of Brighter Futures, said:

‘We were very pleased to offer a very warm welcome to the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress on the 2^nd September. We appreciated them taking the time out of a very busy schedule to meet colleagues, and customers.  It was an opportunity for them to see first hand, some of our key     homelessness and supported housing services and provision, but more importantly, to speak to customers about the positive impact our services have on their lives each day. 

The Starts at Home campaign run by the National Housing Federation, and our full participation in that campaign is part of the drive to raise awareness of the fundamental importance of Supported Housing Provision and wider wraparound services in tackling rough sleeping, homelessness, and provision of much needed safe, supported social housing provision.

We look forward to welcoming them back in the future, to see more of what Brighter Futures has to offer, and meet more of our colleagues and customers.’