The Forward Leeds Street Team’s role in the city’s Street Support Team has been recognised with an Award for Excellence for Partner of the Year.
The award given for “Multi-agency Partnership Working to Support Rough Sleepers During the Covid-19 Pandemic” was given by Leeds City Council. The award recognised the way all the partners involved had gone, ‘above and beyond their normal duties to protect vulnerable people’.
Chris Christie who leads the Forward Leeds Street Support Team (centre above) said: “Our contribution was making sure as many people as possible, that wanted to get support for alcohol or drugs with us at that time, were able to do so, with as few barriers as possible.
“Although the award recognised the work of my team in the partnership, really it’s a tribute to the hard work of everyone at Forward Leeds. My colleagues had to think outside the box and quickly find innovative ways to support a whole influx of people into treatment, who have very complex needs, whilst keeping them safe.
“A lot of people chose to begin treatment because they were unable to beg and without a source of income they had very few other options. What’s been really great is the majority of those people, who started with us during COVID, then stayed in treatment, working their way to be alcohol or drug free”.
The Partner of Year Award for Excellence was presented to Forward Leeds and the other partners by Councillor Mohammed Rafique on the 14 December 2021.
The other partners recognised alongside Forward Leeds were St George’s Crypt, St Anne’s Community Services, Engage Leeds, Beacon Housing, Bevan Healthcare, Homeless and Health Inclusion Team, Mental Health Homeless Team, Leeds Housing Options, Street Outreach Team, Basis Yorkshire, Joanna Project.
The Forward Leeds Street team pictured above are left to right: Lucy Fulton, Luke Slater, Chris Christie, Dani Robinson and Christine Thomas