Big Issue founder visits Coast & Country

Founder of the Big Issue, John Bird, has visited Coast & Country Housing to see a range of its innovative projects that help people gain the skills to find work.

During his tour of the Redcar and Cleveland area, Bird met people who have been assisted by the schemes, which Coast & Country runs in collaboration with partner agencies.

The projects comprised:

• An empty homes project that helps people learn skills vital to finding work in the construction industry and also brings much needed empty homes back into use as affordable social housing. This involves properties across the Redcar and Cleveland Borough with John Bird visiting one in Clarendon Street, Redcar, where he saw the trainees in action.

• Living Sober, a scheme to help people addicted to alcohol or drugs overcome their addiction. Coast & Country’s contribution to the scheme is to provide accommodation in Overfields for a year to see how the Oxford House principles work in Redcar & Cleveland borough. The Oxford House model, based on an American concept, involves people living under one roof with a common goal of sobriety, unity and re- integration to family and employment.

• A local employment initiative where a commitment was made that a significant percentage of those working on the Steeplechase, housing and regeneration development in Redcar, would come from the surrounding area.

John Bird said: “The innovative schemes that are being spearheaded by Coast & Country epitomise my philosophy, upon which the Big Issue is based, that people achieve much more by being given a ‘hand up’ up rather than a ‘hand out’.

“Through these projects, people are being equipped with the confidence and the skills to help them enter the world of work.

“Coast & Country and its partners are to be commended for the range of initiatives and the number of people that they are helping.”

Bird, whose Big Issue is celebrating 20 years in the North East, added: “The people I have met today are truly inspirational and deserve high praise for the immense efforts they are putting in to make something of their lives. I wish them all well for the future.”

Iain Sim, chief executive of Coast & Country, said: “Coast & Country is determined to contribute to reversing the culture of welfare dependency that, unfortunately, prevails in some of our communities.

“Our ethos is to deliver projects that help raise people’s self-esteem and convince them that they have the ability to learn the skills to make them more employable. Along with our partners, the aim is to provide a springboard for people to elevate their aspirations and improve their future prospects.

“John Bird is a visionary and a modern day social engineer with outlooks similar to Coast & Country’s regarding what support is needed by those who are long-term unemployed or homeless. So it is particularly pleasing to have him support and endorse our approach.”