Having worked, until recently, for St Patrick's Trust for almost four years, I feel it appropriate to respond to the recent letter criticising the work going on there (June 4).
I understand the correspondent's concerns regarding the effect on the neighbourhood in Cambridge Road, Hove.
However, closing the project down, as he alludes to, would have a major impact on the city's work with the homeless.
St Patrick's provides a home for many people and, in my experience, works rigorously to support and assist individuals to change.
Inevitably, there are those who do not move on and choose not to respond to support.
But there have been successes in the areas of resettlement, providing semi-independent accommodation with floating support for individuals and assisting and linking substance misusers with the relevant professionals.
The skills centre provides opportunities for self development and gives individuals a much better chance to get into the job market. Success has been consistently achieved here with people getting new jobs.
The initiative of a night cafe and the ongoing care and provision of meals for people at Christmas are a couple of other examples of how the project reacts to needs.
Sometimes what is being achieved is not seen or obvious - as I believe is the case here.
The client group is very unpredictable so there are times when it is difficult to assess where people are going. I know the trust is always working on and reassessing its relationship with the community and values its support.
There are not enough services for the homeless in the city. I wish the project well and I trust it will continue to get the support it needs and deserves.
-Kim Aspindale, Eastbourne
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