ROMERO COMMUNITIES

Registered Charity and Company Ltd by Guarantee

We are a Social Inclusion Charity working predominately in the St Helens Ward of Barnsley in South Yorkshire. We work in partnership with many organisations both voluntary and statutory.

  • Romero Communities exists to help and support community initiatives, individuals and groups.
  • We have several valued volunteers who provide a range of support to our work.
  • The Board of Directors are individuals who are sympathetic to the problems and needs of our service users. The Board are continuously looking to help people to improve and enhance their lives.
  • Starting in December 2017 we will be in receipt of 2 years project costs in the form of a Reaching Communities Big Lottery award.This grant will fund our Support and Guidance work. We will be looking at ways to sustain the support and guidance service into the future.
  • This funding will also support the Charity to complete an organisational review and in addition build our capabilities through increasing skills,knowledge and confidence, to deliver more effective and sustainable services.
  • Romero Support and Guidance has a 13-year track record of delivery.
  • We have a full evaluation report which can be provided for additional information.

Romero Support and Guidance

The Romero Support and Guidance Projectwasfounded in 2004 by the Roundhouse Community Partnership, and is based in St Helens Church, Athersley, S71 3AF. After the Partnership dissolved the project then came under the management of Romero Communities. The demise of the coal industry, and the consequent loss of jobs,left communities like the St Helens ward with multiple social problems. The Romero Project was set up in response to the needs of one of the most deprived wards in the country. The Project’s aim is to help people to deal with these problems by offering support and guidance across a very wide range of issues and client groups. This help also involves acting as an advocate for people who have difficulty representing themselves and navigating their way through complex systems. The longer-term aim is the empowerment of individuals to develop the confidence and skills to act on their own behalf.

How the project works

The project acts as a first port of call for local people and, increasingly, for people from other areas of Barnsley. The project is open Monday to Wednesday, and people drop in or make contact by phone. The workers first listen and gauge what help may be appropriate. The service is free, independent and confidential, which encourages people to ‘open up’. Often the problem initially presented is not the root problem at all. Having listened, the worker either helps the person deal with the problem or seeks specialist advice from partner organisations. Every effort is made to ensure each person is closely involved in deciding or agreeing the next step towards resolution of their problem.

This means that the Romero Project works in partnership with a number of other organisations such as Barnsley Citizens Advice Bureau, Age UK, South Yorkshire Credit Union, BMBC Welfare Rights, Berneslai Homes and The Coalfields Regeneration Trust employment advice service. Where possible we broker services to hold weekly sessions in the Centre. The Project offers space to local groupsandother organisations which require a local venue for meetings. The workers strongly encourage visitors to participate in the support and activity groups which meet at the Centre, as well as to take up voluntary roles, either within the project or the wider work of the charity. Most of our volunteers have sought help from the Project in the past or are currently doing so.

Our ethos

The ethos of the Project is to create a warm and friendly atmosphere where all people feel welcomed, accepted, included and valued. This is of paramount importance, as many visitors are experiencing high levels of stress and poor health. Workers and volunteers aim to contribute to improved feelings of general wellbeing, and to help maintain this improvement over time.

Registered Office 67 Bly Road, Darfield, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S73 9DP.

Company Registered in England & Wales No. 8002099. Registered Charity No. 1156917.