Toni Brockwell: Sanctus

Our numbers were down this week. Three of our members who were among the group which attended the Joint Districts Conference over the weekend have gone down with Covid.

Our speaker was Toni Brockwell, the manager of Sanctus, a Chelmsford-based charity for homeless people that we support.

Last year, she told us, there were 19,767 visits to the Sanctus café where 16,900 hot meals were served to homeless and other vulnerable people. The highest number in any one day was 105. So far this year the highest number has been 102. In 2023 they saw 372 people that had not approached them previously.

Much of the food and ingredients they need are donated by individuals, shops and a local farm. Funds come from donors and fund-raising activities. In 2024 these have included a stall at the Chelmsford Beer Festival, which not only raised funds for them but also raised their profile.

The café is open five days a week. Some laundry is done for regular users known to be sleeping rough, who are also able to avail themselves of a shower once a week.

Sanctus now has its own charity shop, Second Chance,, which is situated opposite the café. They are looking for additional premises from which they could perhaps operate both a café for the needy and a second-hand shop.

Toni knows that our Club is interested in joining the Sanctus Centurions. She told us this initiative has been put on hold while the tax implications are sorted out.