News

  home : news & information : news : Open Day celebrates new opportunities

Open Day celebrates new opportunities

Our Open Day on Tuesday, October 11 was a very special one. Friends, supporters, clients, staff and distinguished representatives from many of our funding partners were present to celebrate the official opening of the new building and to hear from Chairman Mike Brown and Chief Executive Amanda Dubarry about the new opportunities the building presents for enhancing our services.

You can read the press release and see some photographs below. We were also delighted to read Alex Crawford, the Mayor of Rushmoor's blog, which gave his reactions to the day.

(Move mouse over picture to read caption and pause slide show; click to see larger picture)

Press release

Aldershot-based Step by Step's Open Day on Tuesday, October 11 was a significant milestone in the charity's history when it celebrated the opening of a new, purpose-designed building in Crimea Road, Aldershot. The new building, which replaces six older properties around the town, realises a long-term goal which will enable Step by Step to unlock further opportunities to develop the services it offers to the 850 homeless and disadvantaged young people that it supports each year.

Over 130 guests gathered in Holy Trinity Church, Aldershot for the Open Day, including the High Sheriff of Hampshire, Mr Nigel and Mrs Anna McNair Scott; the Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire, the Hon. Mrs Lovell, JP, DL; Mr Rob Douglas, previously High Sheriff of Surrey, and Mrs Douglas; and Bridget Crowther, who founded the charity (then known as Emmaus House) in 1989. Other guests included Martin Nurse, CEO of Sentinel Housing Association, a major funder which also owns and manages the building, and dignitaries from Rushmoor, Waverley and Hart councils, which have contributed to the project. Also on hand to celebrate the important occasion were local businesses, including Wilding Butler who constructed the new building, the team of volunteers – led by Clive Parnell - who managed the building project for Step by Step, supporters, directors, staff, clients and members of partner organisations.

Mike Brown, Chairman of Step by Step, welcoming the guests, emphasised that this had been an extremely effective partnership, with many different organisations and individuals working together to achieve a shared objective. “Seven local authorities, together with the Homes and Communities Agency, provided support to the partnership between Sentinel and Step by Step,” he said. “Our magnificent new facility now provides opportunities which are already working to transform the lives of around 850 young people a year from the local community, enabling them to move from a position of surviving to one of positive development.”

Martin Nurse of Sentinel Housing echoed the partnership theme: “At Sentinel we’re really keen on supporting young people.  The work that Step by Step does with homeless young people achieves so much in Rushmoor and the surrounding districts. We are thrilled to work with Step by Step to provide this Foyer and ongoing support for residents. In addition to our role in developing this centre we are delighted to have sponsored a training room in the new building which will help Step by Step residents work towards essential qualifications.”

Amanda Dubarry, in her closing remarks, emphasised the new opportunities that the new building made possible. “We are already seeing the benefits,” she reported. “In addition to the obvious improvement in facilities, we are now offering additional programmes and activities at a reduced cost. We are continually improving our outcomes and the building will give us the foundations to take the organisation forward. This will ensure that we can help the young people from the local community make the progress that they need to in order to deal effectively with their problems and to realise their ambitions.”  

Many of the guests took the opportunity to inspect the four-storey building, which provides en suite living accommodation for 30 young people and also houses a training room, IT suite, support services, interview rooms and a staff office.

In addition to the guest mentioned above, the following were also present:

Cllr Alex Crawford and Jennifer Evans, Mayor and Mayoress of Rushmoor;
Cllr Richard and Mrs Evelyn Gates, Mayor and Mayoress of Waverley;
Cllr John Kennett, Chairman of Hart District Council;
Cllr Kenneth Crookes, Leader of Hart District Council;
Cllr Peter Moyle, Leader of Rushmoor Borough Council;
Mr Andrew Lloyd, CEO of Rushmoor Borough Council.

Step by Step is always looking for volunteers to help extend its services or assist with fundraising. If you are interested in exploring the possibilities, please contact our Community Fundraising Team in the first instance, on 01252 346107, or email fundraising@stepbystep.org.uk.

©2011 Step by Step Partnership Ltd   :   Reg. Charity No. 900308    :   Company No. 2431825