Being with

We believe there is great value in simply being alongside people without an agenda; not judging people or trying to work for them, but simply sharing in our common humanity, showing dignity, mutual respect and love.

Many of our friends who have experienced homelessness tell us the same thing…

“Nine times out of ten, I just want a conversation… the loneliness is the worst thing.”

“When I was sleeping rough, for someone to come up to me and have a proper conversation, that would last me weeks... that’s the power it gives you.”

We have learnt that homelessness is not the same as houselessness, and that there are very often multiple complex reasons why people become and remain homeless.

We believe that our unique calling is to relational engagement with those facing or at risk of homelessness.

We believe that building up relationships of trust, listening to people, empowering people, and spending time with people in healthy community can make a real, lasting difference.

“When I was homeless and in hostels, I just wanted someone to be with me.”

Our Christian faith lays the foundations for this approach of “being with”.

In Jesus Christ, God was with humanity, sharing our dreams, struggles and sorrows.

In fact, Jesus spent the first 30 years of his life on earth simply “being with” the people of Nazareth.*

We seek to embody and live out this ethos of “being with” in all we do and to share it with people of all faiths and none. We are grateful to be able to operate in this way alongside many other statutory services and charities doing fantastic work in Cambridge.

Please note: safe practice, appropriate boundaries and professionalism are extremely important to us. “Being with” should not be understood as a naïve approach to engaging with the complex issues often associated with homelessness. Rather it is a responsible, strengths-based, and person-centred approach which emphasises the relational and always keeps in mind appropriate safeguarding.

 *For a fuller exploration of the theology of “Being with” please see Samuel Wells’ “A Nazareth Manifesto”