It is business as usual for the 999 Club on Wednesday morning as those in need drop into its day centre for support.
The centre on Deptford Broadway is open on weekdays from 9am-12pm for the homeless to have breakfast, read the paper and get online. The charity takes in visitors in various situations, from rough sleepers to sofa surfers, providing services to help them get back on their feet. And its good work will be continuing for at least another three years after the charity received a whopping £412,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund.
Dean, a recent user of 999's night shelter, is no longer homeless and will be moving into a new flat in just a few days.
“I’m back on the ladder now. It’s taken a while but it’s been worth it.
“It’s been brilliant. [The 999 Club] has got some really lovely members of staff. You can tell they want to take the time to help you out.”
Dean has built a full-length mirror from an old wardrobe door
During his time with the charity, Dean has taken part in an art project in conjunction with the V&A.
The project sees eight people who have used the Night Shelter create pieces of furniture they can use in their own homes out of donated recycled material from a workshop at Lewisham College.
Proudly displaying his new “throne” complete with a vegan leather cushion and full-length mirror which has been carved from a wardrobe door, Dean says: “Once it’s finished I can feel quite proud that I’ve done it all myself.”
After the exhibition at the London Design Festival on September 22, he plans to move the furniture into his new flat.
Asfa Sohail, Principal, says:“I’m so pleased that we have been able to contribute to this project. Lewisham College is a true community resource – not only are we providing teaching and training that are so needed in the area, but we reach out to local stakeholders to share our space and expertise whenever we can. This is an exciting project which highlights the need for sustainable, repurposed furniture and also provides the service users with some very useful skills.”
