@ittakesacity
It Takes a City (ITAC) is a small charity with a big reach. We provide a number of services that support some of Cambridge’s most vulnerable rough sleepers and the many with nowhere to call 'Home'.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ASSEMBLY
This event is a collaborative, city-wide gathering dedicated to addressing and ending women’s homelessness in Cambridge.
Find out more here ittakesacity.org.uk/internationa...
Our sincere thanks to The Sampson Orchestra for inviting Matt and Elizabeth to attend their concert on Saturday evening and for allowing us to collect donations.
They thoroughly enjoyed the evening of amazing music.
NEWSLETTER OUT TODAY! 🎉
We've been really busy over the last couple of months, as you'd expect!
Catch up on all the news as we say thank you for the incredible support from across the community.
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PREPARED WITH LOVE
We celebrate the community effort that ensures our guests at Crossways have access to delicious, nutricious food.
ittakesacity.org.uk/prepared-wit...
It's been a busy time for us over the last few months.
Lots of exciting news to share.
We'll tell you all about it in our latest newsletter, out soon.
Follow this link to subscribe and get it delivered straight to your inbox.
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After losing his mum, Phil* became homeless. With our support, he rebuilt his life, cleared £400+ in rent arrears, and is now Band A for housing - aiming for his own home this year. Good luck!
* Name changed to protect privacy.
A huge shout out to Frankie, Dan and Jonny from Leaf and Lawn - Fencing without Boundaries for carrying out urgent work on the entry gate and fencing at Crossways to make it secure.
We can’t thank them enough and would certainly recommend you check out their website www.leafandlawn.co.uk
The Sampson Orchestra of Cambridge has chosen us to benefit from their Charity Concert on 31st of January.
We have been given a limited number of tickets to raise funds in support of our work.
Follow the link for more information.
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-romant...
We are delighted that our colleague Emma has been awarded an MBE in the King's New Year Honours.
Read all about it on our website.
ittakesacity.org.uk/emma-honoure...
This is our second Christmas at The Haven.
We know that this can be a difficult time for many of those who access the service. We are there to support them every Monday and Thursday night.
Please contact haven-info@itac.org.uk for the latest updates on other ways you can support the project.
Sophie delivering boxes and bags of donations on her cargo bike. She is greeted by ITAC CEO Lis Silver
Our thanks go to Sophie Pearson and all at Costello Medical for all their support this Christmas.
Sophie braved the weather to deliver donations to Crossways on her cool bike and was greeted by Elisabeth Silver.
We wish them a peaceful holiday and look forward to their support in 2026.
We were delighted when Peter Burrows and colleagues from The Cambridge Building Society visited Crossways to deliver a van load of items generously donated by customers via their Giving Tree campaign.
We look forward to continuing to work with them in 2026, as one of their community partners.
Matt had the pleasure of joining Alex Elbro again on her Cambridge Radio show last week.
They chatted about the reopening of Crossways, our winter emergency accommodation project in Cambridge.
Alex and Matt talk from about 2 hours in.
www.mixcloud.com/Cambridge105...
Professional gardener Suzie Nicholson is becoming a familiar and welcome face at Crossways.
Last week, we were delighted when she helped us get in the festive mood by running a wreath making session.
If you’d be willing to provide activities for our residents, please email volunteer@itac.org.uk
Matt visited Trumpington Meadows Primary School last week.
He spoke to the pupils about the importance of kindness, towards others, including those experiencing homelessness.
If you would like to arrange for us to visit your school, workplace or other group, please email info@itac.org.uk
CAN YOU HELP? 🙏
Our security colleague's chair at Crossways has developed a distinct and disturbing list to the right!
Do any of our fantastic followers have one that they could donate so that he can sit in comfort and safety again?
Please email info@itac.org.uk
Our latest newsletter is available for you to catch up on what has been an incredibly busy three months.
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Barry and Susie smiling in late Autumn sunshine in front of a wooden pergola in the Crossways garden
Photo of some hostas growing against the wall in Crossways garden
We were delighted when professional gardener Suzie Nicholson joined Barry, our Volunteer Coordinator, to cast her expert eye over the communal garden at Crossways.
Suzie had lots of inspiring ideas on how we can involve residents in turning the garden into a lovely space to relax.
It’s National Stress Awareness Day
Stress affects us all, but for people facing homelessness, it can be overwhelming.
Let’s continue working towards a future where everyone has the safety and stability they need to thrive.
#StressAwarenessDay #MentalHealthMatters #EndHomelessness
A group of people sit around a fire pit at an allotment.
A fire pit burns away at an allotment.
A bowl of pasta simmers away on a fire pit.
To get in the spirit of #BonfireNight, our allotment group celebrated with a cosy cook-out yesterday! They whipped up hearty tuna and veggie pasta, adding in some of the delicious veggies grown right at our allotment.
Matt, our Coordinator & Community Engagement Manager, joined Alex Elbro on her Cambridge Radio show last week to talk about The Haven, our overnight safe space for women in Cambridge city centre.
cambridge105.co.uk/alex-elbro-2...
Matt Nelson, our Coordinator & Community Engagement Manager, will be joining Alex Elbro on her Cambridge Radio show from 11:20 tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.
Grab a beverage of choice and join them if you're free.
cambridge105.co.uk
Chris Dade sitting at a desk in a cafe area typing on the new laptop
Lis Silver sitting at a table at home typing on the laptop with a PEM tote bag in the fore ground
We thank our friends at PEM for the generous donation of three laptops to replace devices running operating systems no longer supported by Microsoft.
Here you can see Elisabeth Silver, our CEO, and Chris Dade, Support Services Manager giving them a test drive.
info@itac.org.uk to get involved
Sounds like a great day out @cambridgecyrenians.bsky.social
We've had a busy three months since the last edition. Lots of news to tell you about. New and developing partnerships with our friends in the business community and more.
Our latest newsletter is out next week.
Subscribe and get it delivered straight to your in box.
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'We know what causes homelessness, which means we know how to end it. That means building more social homes, and it means creating a welfare system that allows people to live in dignity.' @ittakesacity.bsky.social
Our thanks go to the congregations of New Life Church Cambridge, URC Downing Place and St Andrew Street Baptist Church for the generous donation of their harvest collections.
None Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Funding from the Evelyn Trust was instrumental in helping us make The Haven, our safe space for vulnerable women in Cambridge city centre, a reality.
On The Haven’s first anniversary, this article shows how ‘You have to sow a seed to grow something bigger’.
evelyntrust.com/news/the-hav...
Congratulations James and well done @cambridgecyrenians.bsky.social for supporting him on his journey