Dear Friends,
Homeless Diamonds #35 is now in preparation, with many new contributors and designers involved. The magazine supports all clients of St Mungo’s by making their successes visible (not least to themselves) and linking them with further opportunities.
At St Mungo’s Recovery College our silk screen course was a big success, using equipment and materials purchased by your donations – thank you!
Silk screen is a process that is demanding but productive, and the creativity shown in the sessions was amazing. Our assistant on the course is planning to study silk screen further at Morley College, and will also use the equipment inspiring residents in other hostels, initally in South Camden.
Your support to Homeless Diamonds and St Mungo’s is helping people change their lives.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors at GlobalGiving, Homeless Diamonds has purchased silk screening equiment and materials that will be used at St Mungo’s Recovery College in Southwark, London. Volunteer experts and trainees with experience of homelessness will offer courses at the College and will also be taking the equipment to outreach sessions in St Mungo’s hostels and in hostels run by other homelessness organisations in London.
Silk screening involves imagination but is also a craft process that is both demanding and satisfying. The results achieved can be worn or used by the maker, a reminder of a significant achievement and a source of confidence and pride to take forward in meeting future challenges.
We’ll report back on this new project as it develops next year. But meanwhile, please enjoy the new issue of Homeless Diamonds which will be launched on 14 December and will be available on-line soon after. People with experience of homelessness have much to offer – get to know some of them in our new edition HD34!
Dear friends
Our New Homeless Diamonds issue 33 which was launched on 3 August was a bit different thanks to a new graphic design volunteer (myself) who gave the magazine a new look - please have a look at the new style and the many pictures, stories and poems of our contributors.
We have won approval from St Mungo’s to set up our social media account. Two of our media-savvy contributors have just launched our social media accounts in Instagram and Twitter. Our Instagram account is proving to be a success, starting with a following of people that believe in our project.
Our second annual Anshu Asthana Memorial Exhibition at the Omnibus Arts Centre was a success. We showcased the work of James Brockwell, whose work amazed people with the emotion in his paintings. Also featured was the late Tom Downie, who sadly passed away just weeks before this exhibition of his work. The work of both artists was complemented by an evening of live music by Paula Wichall, Sarah Bush, and Helen Fisher.
Working on the design of the new HD edition has been a great experience for me, and I hope the Instagram account I'm doing now will bring more supporters to this project.
Kevin Serinya
Dear friends,
We are so busy at Homeless Diamonds our report is a day late - apologies!
Upcoming for HD contributors is a reception at St Mungo's head office in Tower Hill to celebrate our new programme of regular displays of artwork there. St Mungo's is a very large organisation and staff at head office have limited opportunity to interact with residents. This opportunity to enjoy residents' artwork, and to meet and share ideas over tea is very welcome.
We are hoping three of our media-savvy contributors who have offered to put HD on Instagram, Twitter and a new database will win approval from St Mungo's to set up these accounts. Facebook and on-line publishing for individual contributors are next in line - watch this space!
Artist Federico Gallo and post-graduate students from the "Year Here" internship programme at St Mungo's in King's Cross are supporting contributors planning our new issue and are helping develop our second annual Anshu Asthana Memorial Exhibition at the Omnibus Arts Centre in Clapham in August.
Your generous donations are making it possible for us to consider some ambitious plans, but these are still in the planning stage - meanwhile, thanks to volunteer James Fraser our April issue is now available on our website with some excellent contributions - please read and enjoy it!
With best wishes to all our supporters from all at Homeless Diamonds,
Jen
Dear Friends,
Our new Homeless Diamonds issue 32 will be out on 7 April and on-line shortly after that – please have a look at the many articles and pictures by our contributors old and new on our website. We think you will enjoy reading the issue; we also hope it will widen understanding and encourage us all towards a fairer society.
We are delighted that Homeless Diamonds is now part of St Mungo’s Recovery College and our monthly meetings will be listed on the College syllabus, giving the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the project to more of St Mungo’s residents, staff and volunteers.
We are also delighted that a programme to show original artwork by residents at St Mungo’s new headquarters in Tower Hill on a rotating basis will bring the creative talents of residents to staff who may be isolated from the core work of the charity. Regular receptions will bring the artists and their friends to headquarters to share tea and ideas. Artwork will travel to hostels as well, to be shared by residents throughout London and in other cities.
All that we do is made possible by the support we get from our donors - thank you!
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