"This accommodation is fantastic - a high standard of living" - update on Bluebird
The first residents at Bluebird, our new development in the heart of the city of Southend, settled in to their new home in December 2022.
Here's a brief update on Bluebird!
What is Bluebird?
Bluebird is our brand new 50 bed development in the heart of Southend-On-Sea, providing blue skies and bright futures for local people experiencing homelessness.
It consists of 35 low to medium needs, and 15 complex needs bed spaces, as well as an on-site educational centre called The Hive, allowing residents to take up training opportunities to further aid their journey towards independence.
The building itself is comprised of three existing properties that have been refurbished, alongside six brand new houses built to environmentally friendly PassivHaus standards.
What is PassivHaus?
PassivHaus buildings adopt rigorous energy efficient design standards so that very little energy for heating or cooling is required.
PassivHaus builds are so well constructed, insulated and ventilated that they retain heat from the sun and the activities of their occupants, so that they maintain an almost constant ambient temperature.
Before and after
Bluebird today
Bluebird welcome its first residents in December 2022 and has been fully occupied since!
There are currently staff on site seven days per week and they have received an overwhelming positive response from our service users:
"This accommodation is fantastic, a high standard of living. I feel safe and very happy, more so than in other accommodations." - Bluebird service user.
The Hive, which is Bluebird's on-site education centre, is almost complete. The Hive will provide part of our Meaningful Activities program, which is tailored to meeting the individual needs of clients. A variety of activities will be hosted here, teaching residents new skills, boosting their confidence and self-esteem, and preparing them for moving on to independent living when ready.
How you can help
Bluebird is an ongoing project that not only gives residents a place to live, but also a chance to take up training opportunities to further aid their journey towards independence.
For people experiencing homelessness, early intervention is key. If support can be given early in life, repeat cases of homelessness can be prevented, and people are more likely to avoid getting stuck in the revolving door of homelessness.
To keep this important work going we rely on the generosity of the local community. You can learn more about how you can get involved with Bluebird here.
