Arlington House in Camden Town used to be famous as the largest hostel for the homeless in the area. Acres of early 20th century red brick could house up to 1200 men at any one time in tiny cells. Celebrating its 100th birthday last year, when it opened Arlington was a symbol of Victorian philanthropy and social care for working men, soldiers and refugees during the two World Wars and a lodging resource when the economic boom of the 1960s brought more workers to London. At times though it had a bad reputation. Even among the homeless it had a bad reputation. But it has changed. Over the years the accommodation has improved, numbers have been reduced and under the newest management – Novas – even bigger changes are on the way.
Novas’ website novas.org sets out their aims as developing “opportunities for individuals and communities through housing and support, education, training, employment, art, culture and regeneration” and goes on to say
“More recently we are developing extensive work, learning, social enterprise and cultural services to support our core work and to match and stretch the diverse aspirations of the people we support.
“Working across the country we respond to local need and also contribute to regional, national and European agendas by identifying and providing sustainable solutions.
“As a Group we develop innovative community empowerment strategies that integrate our services into the wider community.
“We are currently remodelling many of our large hostels to raise the standard for people who are homeless, within buildings that will become much more a part of their local communities”
– and that’s where Arlington House comes in. Already there’s a Sculpture Studio for use by the local community. [Classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays if you’re interested]. Long term plans include many more classes and big changes to the building – remodelling the present accommodation to continue the improvements already made and creating a much bigger Gallery space in the basement which runs through the whole of the three wings. Novas Arts already has, among others, the Arlington Gallery in Parkway but they say the new Arlington House gallery will be the largest in the country.
Are these issues close to your heart?
Is it important to you to reach out and support people experiencing discrimination? Homelessness and inadequate housing? Inequality in learning, training or becoming employed? Mental health issues? Drug and alcohol dependencies? Domestic violence?
It is for them. That’s why the Novas Group works together with thousands of people each year across the United Kingdom and Ireland to tackle these issues and help transform lives. If you would like to support their work there are opportunities to donate on their website – it could be money, of course, but people who arrive with nothing, perhaps as a result of domestic violence would be grateful for so many things – something as simple as a toy perhaps.
The success of their work – and its inspiration – is clear when you look at the stories told by some of their former or existing customers at novas.org/about/People.
Room for improvement
Judy East