A project to help ease homelessness in the city gets the seal of approval from the local authority.
Wakefield Rent Deposit Scheme (WRDS) has just been awarded triple A status for the quality of the service that the Cathedral helped set up 20 years ago.
The award comes in the week the Cathedral opened it door for its annual Christmas tea for the WRDS clients and the same week one of its support workers, Stephen Eacups, was invited to give his testimony on Radio 4s Sunday Worship programme from St Martin-In-The-Fields in London. In it he spoke movingly of the importance of the little things that helped get him back on his feet when he was trying to turn his life around after 23 years of addiction.
The WRDS is a district-wide organisation working to improve the lives of homeless people by providing a route out of homelessness and a way into independent living.
Last night the Dean of Wakefield, the Very Revd Jonathan Greener said he was delighted the scheme received this award.
“As the Cathedral for this city and its outlying areas, it is part of our Christian calling to help those most in need and we are delighted this service has got the recognition it rightly deserves.”
Doors opened for the Christmas tea which this year had a surprise visitor – two barbers from Urban Quarter - who were on hand to give hair cuts for those who wanted them. Pictured here is Jake the barber and WRDS client, Ray Cluely.
All those who had no family received Christmas presents which were funded by the Cathedral’s Christmas tombola.
Julie Burnham of the WRDS said: “We are a small service working with our clients to address homelessness. This award recognises the dedication of a small team to deliver a service of the highest quality at a time of financial constraint. We celebrated 20 years service to homeless people earlier this year, and we hope to be able to continue to deliver high quality services into the future”.