“Our doors are open to anybody in Sheffield"

St Wilfrid’s Centre, found just down the road from Sheffield United’s home ground, is a charity house supporting the homeless open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.

It works to support vulnerable adults from all backgrounds, providing their clients with a hot meal, shower facilities, life skills, recreational activities and even woodwork lessons.

The centre opened in January 1991, after a priest, Monsignor William Kilgannon, who lived near the disused St Wilfrid’s Church had people knock at his door, wanting a hot drink, a refuge, or simply someone to talk to.

With the help of the local parish, the old church was turned into a day centre for vulnerable people in need of refuge - and on its first day of opening took in four clients.

Welfare manager Louise Finnigan said the centre now takes in between 200 and 220 people a week.

“Our doors are open to anybody in Sheffield that wants support and a safe place to come to.

“Around one-quarter of the clients that go to St Wilfrid’s are self-referred, with the rest being referred by other agencies, such as social services, GPs, women’s refuges and Drug and Alcohol services.”

St Wilfrid’s operates a dry centre policy, meaning those currently under the influence of drugs or alcohol are not permitted in the centre but they welcome those in recovery and will direct anyone currently using in the appropriate direction for further help.

“We’re not therapists or doctors, but we do what we can,” Louise said.

“Around 70 per cent of our clients have diagnosed mental health problems, and 10 per cent have a diagnosed learning difficulty - although in reality a lot of them have fallen through the net so we assume it’s more like 40 per cent.”

The staff at St Wilfrid’s, comprised of around 17 employees and 140 volunteers, are well-equipped in supporting the clients, with the welfare team including social workers, teachers, and even an ex-lawyer.

They help to put on around 40 activity sessions a week for the clients, such as literacy and numeracy classes, music and cookery lessons and have also arranged day trips to the seaside.

While giving us a tour of the spacious church-turned-centre, volunteer coordinator Tracey Harrison-Marr showed us the basement workshop where clients can do painting, pottery, or woodwork, where they craft handmade MediBoxes with child locks which are sold to the public to help fund the centre.

“It helps them to get creative and give back,” Tracey said.

“And it gives them a real sense of ownership towards the centre.”

She went on to show the recreation hall where they host their annual Christmas party, which had more than 90 in attendance last year.

“It’s so important for us to be able to put this thing on every year,” she smiled.

“For some people, this is the only Christmas dinner they’ll get, or the only chance to celebrate. We have a lot of socially isolated clients, and it can be hard for them to take that first step, the more they self-isolate, the more out of place they begin to feel. A lot of our activities here ensure that clients are socialising with one another.”

She added: “On paper, you wouldn’t put this group of people together, but it tends to work on the whole, there’s a great sense of family here. It’s got a good, supportive feel and it rubs off on everyone.”

Clients and staff go about their day in unison, with smiles on their faces. The warmness of St Wilfrid’s makes you forget all the troubles at the door. In a recent client survey, they found that the number one reason people came to the centre was because they felt safe.

Tracey told of a time she nearly had to break the bathroom door open, because a man had been in the shower for so long and she was concerned but he said it was because he hadn’t had a hot shower for so long.

In 2017 St Wilfrid’s opened a residential building not far from the centre, after a £2 million fundraising effort. It provides 20 self-contained apartments to clients with a history of homelessness, which are managed by Great Places Housing Group and residents receive group and one-to-one support towards living independently.

Being a charity means the centre has to be self-funding but as it is under the umbrella of Hallam Roman Catholic Diocese, it does receive a portion of funding from there, as well as some from grants and trusts, the local council and health authorities.

A lot of funding comes from donations and fundraisers, such as the Sleep Out, being held on Friday, March 13 at Bramall Lane.

Louise said that although Sheffield United do not donate directly to the centre, they assist in fundraisers and give tickets to the clients to watch some of the home games.

“They’re very good to us, they come down at Christmas to see the clients. There’s been a lot of contact over the years - one of the previous directors of the centre was a superfan so that’s where the relationship came from.” The first Sleep Out was held at Bramall Lane in 2015 and around 60 people participated. Since then, the centre has hosted the event at Abbeydale Picture House and in St Wilfrid’s car park.

The Sleep Out will see participants sleeping outside in the stands of the stadium, with just a sleeping bag and some cardboard, experiencing the life of a rough sleeper.

Participants are asked to pay a £20 registration fee and raise at least £50 in sponsors, with all money going towards the costs of running the centre and employing staff.

A light evening meal and breakfast will be provided and there may be a familiar face or two to United fans popping by to wish participants goodnight and good luck.

The Star’s head of football Chris Holt, Sheffield United writer Danny Hall and editor Nancy Fielder will be braving the frosty temperatures and taking part.

To support us go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/starstwilfssleepout