THE Salvation Army has held its annual health and information fair in Warrington with this year’s event seeing a mobile screening unit in attendance providing extra piece of mind to the homeless community.
The event was at James Lee House, in Brick Street, the Salvation army’s Lifehouse (hostel) in Warrington.
Current and past residents were welcomed to a one stop shop of support from a range of agencies that could assist them in their journey out of homelessness.
Coming together for the day and offering information and practical advice were a range of health professionals including an optometrist and a mental health team as well as organisations from the local community that work to support people in times of crisis such as housing and benefit support specialists who were on hand to offer guidance and advice.
In an addition to previous years, this year’s event also saw the attendance of the local NHS trust’s portable testing unit, screening attendees for Hepatitis C alongside providing a liver health check with a non-invasive scan to see who is at risk of liver disease and signposting where necessary.
Paul Winstone, support worker at James Lee House said: “We strive to do our best for people experiencing homelessness and we’re proud to offer so much more than just giving someone a bed for the night; we provide practical support via a person-centred approach, giving people a reason to get up in the morning and see themselves as members of the community and not living with the label of homelessness.
“Our health and information fayre allowed our residents, and members within the community, to meet with organisations that can help them in their journey out of homelessness, bringing companies to them, making them accessible as we know for many people taking that first step and holding down appointments can be hard. And the introduction this year of the mobile screening unit being present reinforced the fact that we are committed to putting the needs of the people we care for first, ensuring that they are given everything they need to make positive changes in their lives.”
James Lee House has been part of Warrington for more than five decades and provides 54 beds for men and women over the age of 18 experiencing homelessness in and around Warrington.
Salvation Army hostels, known as Lifehouses, provide specialist support and guidance to help residents tackle the complex reasons that led them to become homeless and help them end this cycle. James Lee House Lifehouse celebrated its 56th anniversary in July of this year.
