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Devizes opendoors

Our regular opening times are:

  • Mondays          11:00 -13:00
  • Wednesdays  09:30 - 11:30
  • Thursdays       11:00 - 13:00
  • Fridays              13:00 - 15:00

At each of our sessions you can find a hot meal, warm drinks, surplus food, clothing, shoes, toiletries, toilet and shower facilities and one-to-one support and signposting. Please call 01380 819909 for enquiries.

Donate with JustGiving.Pay with Mastercard, Visa, American express, PayPal, Apple Pay or Direct Debit.

Market Place 2011 large

Lisa, a woman in her 40s came to Opendoors in December 2021.  Suffering poor mental health and some physical ailments she was not making much headway in reducing her rent arrears or combatting her hoarding tendency.  She had other debts which CAP were willing to help her manage but again, due to her other issues she was failing to engage with them. 

In June 2022 Lisa was evicted by the housing association because of repeated failure to respond positively to their demands.  Bailiffs changed the locks and Lisa started sofa surfing with friend Katy and partner in a small flat.

In July 2022, faced with the last chance to collect her things and nowhere to put them, Lisa reached out to Opendoors.  With the help of her befriender there, contact was made with her mother and a man with a van.  All agreed to move her white goods etc and put them in storage.  Opendoors then facilitated contact with Wiltshire Independent Living and a relationship was formed that then enabled Lisa, together with her Opendoors befriender, to go through the difficult process of picking through the mountain of her possessions.  Lisa found this extremely difficult but with support, persisted.  Lisa also needed the support of Primary Care Liaison Services (PCLS) and was in touch with the mental health team about her self-harming before being tested for bi-polar.  In addition, a housing officer was involved but due to Lisa’s erratic accommodation arrangements,  struggled to stay in touch with her.  However, with the liaison help of her Opendoors befriender and her regular attendance at our sessions, the housing officer was able to contact Lisa and supported her while secure accommodation was arranged at Springers House, although it took the support and engagement of TP, Housing Options and WCIL in order to achieve this.  Finally after some 5 weeks post eviction, Lisa moved into Springers House and re-connected with the world.  She is in a position to assess and act on her issues with the support needed.

The help is out there but it took persistent and consistent contact with nine agencies to halt the slide into chaos and instability that homelessness engenders.  By the time people become homeless many other things have gone wrong. They are caught in a maelstrom of chaos which is hard to escape. Homeless people have complex needs that are in turn unique to them, often built up over many years.  They need friendly, non-judgemental support and unconditional personal regard to restore their self-respect and sort out their life issues.

How you can help us

Sarah and guest

What we do

breakfast1

Help and support us

money 300

Venue Hire

Hall with tables

Need to contact us?  Email manager@devizesopendoors.org.uk to arrange to drop off donations or any other query. 

We will endeavour to respond as soon as possible.
Our office number is 01380 819909. 

The office is manned Monday-Thursday, but staff may be working off-site so calls won’t always be answered.

 

 

How to find us

Southbroom Centre is at the far end of Victoria Road. There are 2 routes to the Centre.

1. Walk or drive down Victoria Road to the flats around the grass circle, go around to the right of the flats and we are on the right before you get to the bungalows. Follow the sign posts.
2. Walk down London Road, past Morrisons, the Crammer and St. James' Church. Keep going out of town but before you cross the canal there is a bus stop on the left. Turn left there and walk along the path, leaving London Road behind you. You will see bungalows on your right and the back of flats straight ahead. When you get to Victoria Road go left around the corner and you'll see us on the left (not Southbroom House but the next entrance, Southbroom Centre).

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