Page 38 - Essex Mason (Issue 91)

Online Supplement

Essex Freemasons make the right

move for CHESS

.Bro Mark Jones and Bro. Graham Cornell made a delivery of bottled water, snacks, soft drinks, treats, toiletries
Wand items of clothing to the C.H.E.S.S centre in Chelmsford. These items where donated by the brethren of The
Wheel of Fellowship Lodge 9016 in Maldon, Essex.
Barbara Buxton the manageress of the C.H.E.S.S centre in Chelmsford was waiting outside to greet W.Bro Mark Jones
and Bro. Graham Cornell who presented Barbara with the donations She thanked the Brethren and explained that the
outreach service covers Brentwood Chelmsford, Braintree Maldon and Rochford. The donated gifts are distributed by
volunteers and are much appreciated by the homeless people.

CHESS has several facets, but the overall goal is to help people
move on in a positive way with their life. CHESS is about
change, about supporting someone to identity and resolve
issues that have caused homelessness. Usually this involves not
only the immediate issue that led to homelessness but factors
prior that have caused issues for the person. They therefore
take a holistic approach when working with someone and look
at all areas of like not just housing.

They will go and see someone who has been referred
through Streetlink to see what help and support they
need. It might be initially practical issues like food / water
/ sleeping bag / tent / local services that are available
but also identifying what support is needed. This maybe
accessing emergency accommodation, helping access
longer term accommodation and support services. The
accommodation is initially for 3 nights to get the person
off the street and then renewed for up to a month whilst
seeking more suitable accommodation whilst they
work with people intensively. This may be within the
CHESS shelter or outside us if appropriate. They have a
9-bedroom initial property and a 3 bed for those entering
CHESS through the Outreach team both of which have
been opened during the pandemic.
They have a shelter (the original one opened in 1996) which
was only at night but since we reopened in November
2020 (they were shut down at the end of March as a result
of the pandemic) they have opened on a 24/7 basis with
staff on site providing help and support to residents plus
acting as an on-call facility to their move on houses. The
shelter provides an initial stay of 28 days whilst they get
to know someone and identify the issues that need to be
addressed. They did have 9 residents but as a result of
the pandemic they have had to reduce this to 4 as they
were only allowed to reopen with a bathroom per person
and we only have 4. We are currently looking at ways
to get the numbers back up. They have however got 7
other move on houses accommodating up to 34 people
where residents move onto from the Shelter / Outreach
whilst they are addressing their issues and pending more
permanent accommodation.

Two of the 7 houses (8 additional beds) have been added since the pandemic started to help offset the reduction in beds
at the shelter and expand capacity. We usually have volunteers helping at the shelter but this has been suspended in
the current circumstances.

This is a local charity that does so much good work in the local community that the members of the lodge wanted to do
something in support of all their hard work.