Date: 7th May
Last week, Harbour Housing were honoured to welcome the High Sheriff of Cornwall, Geraint Richards, for a tour around Cosgarne Hall.
As well as being a well-known figure in Cornwall, involved in various community and charitable activities, the High Sheriff has served as the Head Forester for the Duchy of Cornwall for the last twenty-nine years.
The visit explored the committed work that staff, residents and volunteers are continuously working towards, in regard to Homelessness, Anti-social behaviour and supporting individuals with complex needs, on their journey to recovery and independent living.
Staff discussed their roles within the charity, and the High Sheriff was introduced to the impressive security and surveillance operations that are currently in place.
Prior to the visit, Mark Steer, Chair of the board of trustees at Harbour, had reached out to the High Sheriff for his expertise in choosing a tree to plant in memory of a client who had sadly passed away.
The client, Wojciech was found by a colleague sleeping in his car outside of his workplace, where he was employed in Cornwall. He was admitted to the hospital and was diagnosed with leukaemia alongside Osteomyelofibrosis. Wojciech entered Harbour’s Hospital Discharge project as an end-of-life client, due to being at risk of homelessness after being discharged from the Hospital.
The initial challenge when Wojciech was first referred to Harbour was the language barrier, as he spoke limited English and staff were unable to communicate with him verbally, with no experience with the Polish language. To overcome this challenge, Harbour purchased a tablet and a translator, so that he could be in touch with his family in Poland and so that he was able to communicate his needs and ask for support.
The Sheriff of Cornwall selected the perfect tree to plant to mark the memory of Wojciech, along with poignant words and music provided by a current resident, who resides in permanent accommodation at Cosgarne Hall.
“I made a deeply moving visit to Harbour Housing, where the amazing staff gave me a most informative tour and I had the opportunity to meet and talk to some of those people helped by their work. When you hear words like ‘I would not be alive were it not for Harbour Housing’, you release the impact that is being made. It was an honour to plant the tree in memory of Wojciech.”
Thank you to the incredibly dedicated team for all that you do, and I look forward to my next visit.”- The High Sheriff of Cornwall
The visit was a valuable opportunity for the High Sheriff to experience life at Harbour and how collaborating on future projects with community partnerships, the police and the NHS, will further influence the important work that Harbour provides within the local community and throughout Cornwall.
Finishing off with a proper Cornish cream tea, Malcolm Putko, Group Operations Director of Harbour Housing, said
“We appreciate the High Sheriff taking the time today to honour Wojciech by providing his time and forestry expertise to choose the right tree and for his contribution to the planting ceremony. It meant a lot to all involved with Wojciech’s End-Of-Life care provision and to his memory.”
9th September
Cultural feast shared by staff celebrates diversity and inclusion.
Harbour Housing recognised the generosity of one of its own colleagues through its Act of Kindness Award, celebrating the everyday
23rd June
13th June
9th June
27th May
22nd May
