Off The Fence Trust is a Brighton based registered charity founded on a Christian vision and driven by Christian values.
The charity provides vital services to the most vulnerable and marginalised in our community.
The charity works in the four areas of street homelessness, women at risk, education, and provides supported accommodation for vulnerable young people. Off The Fence staff are supported by an enthusiastic and committed group of more than 50 volunteers.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Newsletters now available online
If you have broadband access to the Internet, the Off The Fence newsletter is now available online in PDF format.
Please click here for the June 2006 OTF News and Prayer Letter
Please click here for the June 2006 OTF News and Prayer Letter
posted by Robert Lines @ 3:44 PM
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The Antifreeze Project: Extra Time
As I write this we’re entering a period of top sport. The second week of The World Cup matches has begun, Wimbledon is just around the corner, and cricket lovers have test matches to look forward to against Pakistan. Whatever the sport however, and whoever we support, we want our sportsmen and women to be successful because their success can often bring about a lift across the nation and also in us.
Our work at the Antifreeze project is no different. Seeing men and women who access our service move forward and progress to the next stage in their lives is a tremendous boost, not in an arrogant way, but in the joy of seeing men and women begin to turn their lives around and start to achieve their potential, ultimately as St Paul says, “going on to receive the victors Loral”. But as with sport, things don’t always go quite to plan and some of our clients sadly drop out of the race for whatever reason, and unlike the popular press, in those times criticism isn’t very helpful in seeking a deeper understanding of the client and their needs.
A recent message came into our office from a man who we had worked with and supported over a number of months, meeting him on the street, working with him through relocation and then into accommodation. Over a period of time he regularly kept in touch with us by letter or phone, sharing with us how his life was changing. His story was a huge encouragement to us, and to many others who had similar experiences. The call we received was a devastating blow telling us that through circumstances related to his past; sadly he had once again resorted to crime and as a result become a victim of rough sleeping. I’m sure many might see his situation as a failure; a going back to a certain way of life. We rather see it as an identification of the inadequate care and support to vulnerable men and women that we witness regularly and one that sadly can keep men and women trapped in a cycle of homelessness.
Well whatever your sport I’m sure your team will benefit greatly in knowing they have your full support, that support can often lift teams, make a huge difference to the outcome of their progress, and likewise your prayers and support to our work can and does make a huge difference to our clients. It equips us to begin the work of breaking into this destructive cycle of homelessness and addiction and replace it with a work of restoration, and the reality is that sometimes we might need to go into extra time for this to be achieved.
Mervyn Weeks
Our work at the Antifreeze project is no different. Seeing men and women who access our service move forward and progress to the next stage in their lives is a tremendous boost, not in an arrogant way, but in the joy of seeing men and women begin to turn their lives around and start to achieve their potential, ultimately as St Paul says, “going on to receive the victors Loral”. But as with sport, things don’t always go quite to plan and some of our clients sadly drop out of the race for whatever reason, and unlike the popular press, in those times criticism isn’t very helpful in seeking a deeper understanding of the client and their needs.
A recent message came into our office from a man who we had worked with and supported over a number of months, meeting him on the street, working with him through relocation and then into accommodation. Over a period of time he regularly kept in touch with us by letter or phone, sharing with us how his life was changing. His story was a huge encouragement to us, and to many others who had similar experiences. The call we received was a devastating blow telling us that through circumstances related to his past; sadly he had once again resorted to crime and as a result become a victim of rough sleeping. I’m sure many might see his situation as a failure; a going back to a certain way of life. We rather see it as an identification of the inadequate care and support to vulnerable men and women that we witness regularly and one that sadly can keep men and women trapped in a cycle of homelessness.
Well whatever your sport I’m sure your team will benefit greatly in knowing they have your full support, that support can often lift teams, make a huge difference to the outcome of their progress, and likewise your prayers and support to our work can and does make a huge difference to our clients. It equips us to begin the work of breaking into this destructive cycle of homelessness and addiction and replace it with a work of restoration, and the reality is that sometimes we might need to go into extra time for this to be achieved.
Mervyn Weeks
posted by Robert Lines @ 1:52 PM
Pizzas and the gospel!
On Wednesday 14 June after lots of prayers and planning we arrived at Blatchington Mill Sixth Form college carrying armfuls of boxes of pizza (cooked for us by some lovely people at Bishop Hannington church – THANK YOU)!
Youth Worker Ross Ciano had agreed to come and offer students a quick five minute gospel presentation followed by the chance to ask questions. The pizza was eaten, the presentation followed and then after the traditional awkward silence for a few moments the questions and conversations flowed thick and fast – so much so that the session lasted an hour longer than we had planned!
I had been concerned that despite much consultation with the students about the optimum date we had managed to end up holding this event at the end of the exam period when students are not actually required to be in college! However clearly God had this in hand as any other week lessons would have started at 1:00pm and the conversations and questions would have been cut short. As it was we had unlimited time to talk with them and they were certainly in no hurry to leave! We also had the chance to share pizza and conversation with reception staff at the college.
Adele Waller
Youth Worker Ross Ciano had agreed to come and offer students a quick five minute gospel presentation followed by the chance to ask questions. The pizza was eaten, the presentation followed and then after the traditional awkward silence for a few moments the questions and conversations flowed thick and fast – so much so that the session lasted an hour longer than we had planned!
I had been concerned that despite much consultation with the students about the optimum date we had managed to end up holding this event at the end of the exam period when students are not actually required to be in college! However clearly God had this in hand as any other week lessons would have started at 1:00pm and the conversations and questions would have been cut short. As it was we had unlimited time to talk with them and they were certainly in no hurry to leave! We also had the chance to share pizza and conversation with reception staff at the college.
Adele Waller
posted by Robert Lines @ 1:11 PM
