At the Bristol Methodist Centre, everyone is welcome.
We endeavour to treat each guest equally and with respect and in turn, we expect this same respect to be shown to our staff and volunteers.
Our support staff are available to our guests during opening hours, allowing time to listen and get to know individuals and their current needs, whether these are short term or long term, our dedicated staff will work with our guests during their crisis or request for support until a resolution has been identified and their need answered (if we are unable to directly help their crisis we will signpost to appropriate agencies for support).
Our support staff work with our guests to propose and implement individual support packages which can either be long or short term depending on the needs of the individual. All staff at the Methodist Centre understand that what might work for one individual might not work for the next, and so each engagement with guests needs are dealt with a holistic and person-centric approach to help get the very best for those we are working with.
Not all staff, volunteers or guests share our Christian faith but they respect our values and ethos in treating everyone with respect and humanity. People of all or no faith are welcome at the centre, and prayer is always available if and when requested. Our Christian belief underpins everything we do at The Methodist Centre (please see Matthew 25:31-45).
Nutritious Food
CURRENT SERVICE TIMETABLE
The centre is open from 10am - 3pm
Monday 10am - 3pm (Breakfast 10am - 11am Lunch 12:30-1:30pm)
Tuesday 10am - 3pm (Breakfast 10am - 11am Lunch 12:30-1:30pm)
Wednesday 10am - 3pm (Breakfast 10am - 11am Lunch 12:30-1:30pm)
Thursday 1:15pm - 3pm (no food served on this day)
Support and Advice
We have a knowledgeable staff team and volunteer base with many years of experience that are able to help our guests with a wide range of support and advice.
We also pride ourselves in knowing what other service providers operate in and around Bristol that we can signpost individuals to if we are unable to assist them directly.
We are also aware that there has been a big shift in many services moving to online portals such as housing, benefits, employment, banking etc. and we are able to assist our guests in all of these types of applications. We have a computer suite that is used daily by our guests and staff and volunteers are able to help individuals access the support they need.
We are also looking to upskill our guests with training and support in these areas by running computer literacy courses, training on various programmes, how to access the various portals they need to use on a daily or weekly basis (this will in the longterm help them become independent in these matters) we believe that this training and support will also enable guests to build skills for future employment and ensure they are not left behind with changes in IT and the growing movement of essential services becoming online access only.
Our Educational Officer is also on hand to help guests with CV writing, training, job applications, and various documents they may need to have before gaining employment such as photographic ID, a care of address (if homeless) and bank account applications if needed.
Access to essentials
Haircuts have been available at the centre but are currently on hold given the COVID-19 pandemic.
Showers & Laundry Service - is available Monday - Thursday. Spaces are limited and bookings should be made when guests present at the centre.
Computers - are available Monday - Thursday (excluding lunchtimes 12:30-1:30pm).
Clothing Store - available Monday - Thursday (guest will need to discuss their needs with a member of staff)
Dog Kennels - are available to guests with dogs if they want to access the provisions of the centre - no dogs are allowed in the centre at any time.
Chapel - there is a small chapel on-site which is open to any guests of any or no faith to enjoy some peace and reflection if needed. There is also a piano in here and guests are allowed if they want to, to use this.
Garden - we have a lovely garden that is available to all guests with a smoking shelter for the wet weather.
Art Room - available on request.
1:1 Rooms - if service providers are looking for a temporary office or workspace we have two 1:1 rooms/ offices available for use in the centre. Some of the organisations we signpost to have used these spaces to conduct their initial appointments or continue to use these spaces as they are seen as a safe and neutral ground for our guests.
Health Services - we have had the Homeless Health Team operating from the centre previously and are working hard to bring them back to the centre following COVID-19 - this team are able to triage guests, prescribe medication, offer flu jabs and various other services that our guests may need.
Foodbank - we are not a foodbank but if our guests are in need, if they have been placed into accommodation and they are without food, we may offer them a small bag of food as an emergency parcel. We also sometimes have surplus food available for guests to take away during the week.
A guest recieving his flu jab - this ran within the centre and was so popular the NHS support ran out of flu vaccinations and another clinic was needed.
Activities
We are looking to add to this list of activities now we have re-opened after COVID-19.
CV writing workshops
Computer Literacy Courses
Accessing your benefits workshop
Elderly Computer Literacy Courses (navigating various platforms and programmes).
Accessing your Housing workshops (using Homechoice)
Other Agencies
We also host other agencies at the centre enabling them to deliver their advocacy and advice services to our guests.
A 1:1 room can be made available if a guest would like to arrange a meeting with support workers.
The Homeless Health Team.
Golden Key
In Hope (formally The Wild Goose)
Shelter
Crisis
The Matthew Tree Project
St Mungo’s
Bristol City Council
Bristol Drugs Project
The Police
If you are working with our demographic of guests (homeless and vulnerable) and you need an office or want to arrange an appointment with them, please consider contacting us for use of our space.
Email Manager@Methodist-Centre.Org.Uk if you would like to talk further about using our centre.
Achievements
We prepare and serve over 10,000 nutritious meals every year.
Our professional staff organise over 1000 1:1 support sessions for our guests every year.
We help our guests to take important steps which enable them to progress, whether that be signposting, organising housing support, benefit advice, help with paperwork, assisting them into entering rehab or other services - we are hear to help with their emotional and physical wellbeing.
We have recently been working at keeping a local park clean of litter, with our guests taking a lead role with this program, ensuring that the park is suitable for parents with young children to play in.
GDPR
What we are doing to protect your information…
Managing Trustees’ Privacy Notice Churches, Circuits and Districts within the Methodist Church in Great Britain respect your privacy and are committed to protecting all personal information (personal data).
The Methodist Church privacy notice lets you know how we look after personal data which either has been provided to us or we obtain and hold about people and explains privacy rights and how the law protects people.
This privacy notice is available online https://www.tmcp.org.uk/kcfinderuploads/files/managing-trustees-privacynotice.pdf