Hope into Action is a registered charity whose unique purpose is to enable churches to house the homeless.

Work began in summer 2010 with a handful of people passionate about changing homelessness in the city of Peterborough.  The seeds of the idea were sown in a local park one Sunday morning.  Ed Walker, freshly back home with his family after managing a disaster relief project for TearFund, struck up a conversation with a stranger.  "I met a man who had been released from prison just the day before.  With nowhere and no one to go to, I found him drinking alone from a bottle on a park bench."   

Ed felt called.  He set a challenge for himself and his church friends -

"How can we meet this man's needs for a home and positive relationships?". 

Phoning local homelessness services he realised that many provide somewhere to sleep and are very professional - few offer a home and a community of people to accept you as you are. 

So Hope into Action launched. Ed and his wife Rachel, poured their savings into a house. Together with friends, people like you, they lovingly decorated and furnished it ready to welcome two young men in a homeless situation.  Crucially, they settled in with the support and friendship of the local church team.  

Today Hope into Action runs homes like this across the country. 

We provide not just shelter and housing know-how but also friendship. Together with 100 churches we provide direct support to people whom others have often given up on.  The original home had a real heart for men coming out of prison.  Homes are now available for a wide range of "homeless", people in recovery from addiction, people sleeping rough, women and children fleeing domestic violence, people coming out of rehab, former prostitutes, refugees, those suffering mental health issues and survivors of human trafficking. 

Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, captures what we do:

“What I really admire about Hope into Action is that is has a holistic depth to it.  Hope into Action allows people in our churches to recognise they can actually do something”. 

We are now partnering with churches not just in Peterborough, but also in Cambridge, Nottingham, Norwich. We encourage others to use our model by franchising the idea, we would love you to join us.  Our vision is for every church to lovingly provide the homeless with a home.  The tragedy of homelessness is in every community. We believe that with our help, you and your church can do something about it.   

To learn more about how your can get your church involved, please get in touch using the contact us button or give us a call on 01733 558301.

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