By The Open Arms Team, Lee Lazenby
Our project has had a fair few great results in the project’s fourth year 2025/2026. The last one to date was an individual who turned up in disarray after a relationship breakdown they were not only alone and destitute but without a roof over their head. The individual had not experienced anything like this before and was not aware of any services available. The individual expressed a feeling like they were hitting their head against a brick wall, and no one was listening.
Upon attending an Open Arms session Citizens Advice provided options legally. Lee, from Rotherfed, listened to the individual and began addressing concerns and signposted to various organisations and charities across the borough of Rotherham who would be able to assist and make their life easier at least in the interim. Various support services were used following which Lee received a phone from the individual thanking her for signposting to obtaining a food parcel and secure washing facilities. What was a welcome surprise, and the icing on the cake, was that the individual was overjoyed had been placed in temporary accommodation provided by the council. All this was sorted in less than a week thanks to the dedication of the staff, other charities and organisations involved across the borough of Rotherham. Teamwork at its finest.
