Housing Report 2024–2026

Overview

During the re-housing process, we manage all logistical aspects of relocation, sourcing essential items such as beds, kitchen utensils, and furniture. By doing so, we help restore dignity to individuals and families fleeing abuse.

Where possible, we prioritise keeping our clients housed within London to reduce the risk of social isolation and disruption to support networks. However, relocation outside of London is arranged when requested or when safety considerations require it, as in the case of Sarah* and her children.

Many temporary housing properties are privately owned rather than part of the social housing system and repairs are often required. As these properties are not always directly managed by the council, Cassandra Centre takes responsibility for ensuring that necessary repairs are completed and that properties meet appropriate living standards.

We also support women with complex needs. For example, Eva* had chronic health conditions, children with disabilities, and faced a language barrier that had prevented her from accessing appropriate support. While we were able to help Eva secure a new home, we also ensured that the property was suitably adapted to meet the needs of her and her children.

Our work goes beyond securing housing, we help to transform empty spaces into homes.

In addition to housing support, we assist clients in navigating housing benefits, Universal Credit, and council tax systems. We also support families as they resettle into new communities, schools, and religious or cultural networks to promote stability and long-term wellbeing.

Key Statistics (2024–2026)

Rehousing and Relocation

2 elderly individuals re-housed
1 teenage mother supported to secure housing
1 client transitioned from street homelessness to permanent housing

16 Families Relocated

Thirteen families (mothers and children fleeing violence) relocated within London.
Three families (mothers and children fleeing violence) relocated outside of London.

4 Single Adults Re-housed

Three single individuals re-housed within London.
One single individual re-housed outside of London.

Education Progression

We supported 4 women in their transition to university education, demonstrating stabilisation outcomes beyond immediate housing intervention.

Case Study Summary

Our client Anna* experienced street homelessness. While the Centre was operational, she relied on StreetLink referrals and volunteer-led emergency accommodation. On one occasion, she was placed in a private residence where she felt unsafe and uncomfortable.

As she approached the age cut-off for certain services, she was moved into hostel accommodation. However, safeguarding concerns required an urgent relocation. Our Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) persistently advocated on her behalf, resulting in her being granted temporary accommodation, which was later converted into permanent housing.

Complex Needs and Advocacy

A significant proportion of clients presented with intersecting vulnerabilities, including:

Chronic health conditions
Children with disabilities
Language barriers
Safeguarding risks in shared accommodation
Street homelessness
Age-related service cut-offs

In cases involving privately owned temporary accommodation, Cassandra Centre frequently intervened to:

Escalate and secure property repairs
Liaise with landlords and managing agents
Advocate with local authorities where council oversight was limited

Privately leased temporary accommodation is often significantly more expensive than council-owned housing, creating additional financial strain on the public system and increasing housing instability risks.

Types of Housing Accessed

Temporary Accommodation (Private Landlords)

These properties are privately owned and may be managed by either the local council or an external organisation. When leased from private landlords, costs are often significantly higher than social housing rates.

Council-Owned Temporary Accommodation

These properties are owned and managed by the local authority, which is responsible for property management and council tax arrangements.

Systems Impact

Our work extends beyond securing accommodation. We mitigate systemic barriers that prevent survivors from sustaining tenancies, including:

Inaccessible benefits systems
Language barriers
Lack of disability adaptations
Poorly maintained temporary housing
Fragmented safeguarding responses

By providing holistic housing stabilisation support, Cassandra Centre reduces the likelihood of:

Repeat homelessness
Return to abusive environments
Educational disruption for children
Increased demand on emergency services

Summary Impact (2024–2026)

20+ individuals and families directly re-housed
16 families protected from domestic abuse through relocation
1 street homeless client transitioned to permanent housing
4 women progressed into higher education
Multiple properties repaired or adapted to meet health and safeguarding standards

*All names have been changed to protect anonymity.

Theatre Within Therapy

With Creative Arts

A space for women to connect, heal, rediscover themselves and explore spiritual growth.

6 Free Sessions

Refreshments Provided

Session Dates and Times

Every Thursday

Dates: 14th January – 18th February 2027

Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm

Location

Tooting Works
89 Bickersteth Road
London
SW17 9SH

About the Sessions

Theatre Within Therapy with Creative Arts offers a welcoming space for women to connect, heal, rediscover themselves and explore spiritual growth through creative expression.

Join us for six free sessions, with refreshments provided.

Organisations Involved

SafeRoots Partnership
MindworksUK
Cassandra Centre

Resonating with what is SYSTEMIC CONSTELLATIONS: With Jutta ten Herkel

Resonating with what is SYSTEMIC CONSTELLATIONS

With Jutta ten Herkel

A constellation can reveal systemic influences and show, in a visual picture, where our energy may be blocked, as well as offering ways to release it. It may show up as illness, depression, anxiety, addictions, loyalty to suffering, problems in relationships and professional or financial challenges. All of these may express themselves in our unconscious emotional inheritances. Systemic Constellations allow us to attend to these patterns in order to live healthier, fulfilling lives. During the day you will have the opportunity to do your own work as well as participate as a representative in others’ constellations.

The workshops are held in person on Saturdays:

2026

21st March
9th May
27th June
26th September
7th November

Cost: £140 – for an issue holder place; £80 – for a representative/observer place

Venue: LFB, 210 Knights Hill, Norwood, London SE27 0QA

Time: 10.00 am – 5.30 pm (please arrive by 9.50 am for prompt start at 10.00 am)

About Jutta ten Herkel

Jutta ten Herkel, BA (Hon) Psychology is a systemic and Gestalt-trained psychotherapist, trainer and supervisor. Jutta trained in the early 90’s with Bert Hellinger and other eminent teachers. She contributed to the development of systemic constellation trainings in the UK and internationally. Her inclusive approach in her therapy incorporates recent research from neurobiology and mindfulness practices.

Jutta is the co-founder of the Cassandra Centre, a charity in London, supporting young people in forming healthy relationships.

She also collaborates with the SAT (Seeker after Truth) programmes, originally created by Claudio Naranjo, linking the transformative potential of the Enneagram studies and his psycho-spiritual teachings with Systemic Constellations.

Booking and Contact Information

Booking: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/jutta-ten-herkel-15957743712
Search for Resonating With What Is

Call Us: +44 (0) 7960 403 005

Email: juttatenherkel@gmail.com

Support Women and Girls in Jamaica’s Correctional Facilities After Hurricane Melissa

About the Cassandra Centre

The Cassandra Centre is a registered charity rooted in a criminal justice background. We empower women and girls affected by trauma, abuse, and systemic challenges. We promote safety, wellbeing, and resilience for those most vulnerable in our communities.

The Need

These women already face isolation, trauma, and limited access to their needs. Many are mothers, some have babies with them inside prison. When disaster hits, their needs are rarely considered, yet their experiences of trauma and fear are immense.

These women are mothers, daughters, and sisters. In this moment of need, we believe in the quiet power of women supporting women.

How You Can Help

Donate Supplies – Help provide essential items to women and girls in need.
Financial Support – Make a financial contribution to support the appeal.
Volunteer – Help source the items and assist with packing.
Raise Awareness – Share the appeal and help us reach more people.

Why It Matters

Women and girls in correctional facilities are often overlooked during disaster recovery.
Your contributions help restore dignity, safety, and connection.
Every gesture, no matter how small, helps build resilience and hope.

Together, We Rise

Let’s show up for each other, the sisterhood that heals, uplifts, and transforms.

Support the Appeal

To donate, volunteer, provide supplies or find out more about how you can support women and girls in Jamaica’s correctional facilities, please contact the Cassandra Centre.

Website: www.cassandra-centre.org.uk
Telephone: +44 7862 520468
Email: info@cassandracentre.org.uk

Registered Charity Number: 1129508 | Company Number: 6235706

Every Wrinkle Tells a Story

When we look at an older person, what do we see?

An elder waiting at a bus stop. A grandmother attending a community group. A neighbour tending a garden. Too often, society sees age before it sees the person.

Every older person has lived a lifetime of experiences that have shaped who they are today. Behind every face lies a story of hopes, achievements, challenges, and relationships. Many have also endured hardships that remain largely unseen.

At Cassandra Centre, the elders we support have lived through extraordinary periods of social change and adversity. Some have experienced war, endured displacements such as, migration, poverty, discrimination, and/or family separation. Others have faced domestic abuse, bereavement, illnesses and profound loss. While many may have spent years caring for others, their own emotional wounds often remained unspoken.

Trauma does not always fade with time. For some older people, painful experiences continue to affect their wellbeing long after the events themselves have passed. Feelings of grief, anxiety, fear or loss may remain, influencing not only their own lives, but sometimes those of future generations.

This is often referred to as intergenerational trauma. The effects of violence, poverty, racism, displacement, and other forms of adversity can shape family relationships, coping strategies, and patterns of behaviour across generations.

Alongside these challenges, many older people experience a growing sense of isolation and loneliness. In a society that frequently prioritises youth and independence; some elders often feel overlooked or disconnected. While many enjoy strong support networks, others may encounter days without meaningful social contact. Loneliness is about more than being alone. It is the feeling of no longer being seen, heard, or connected to others.

At Cassandra Centre, we believe every older person deserves dignity, respect, and a sense of belonging. Supporting our elders means that we are recognising the whole person, including their experiences, strengths, and contributions, rather than defining them by age alone.

Our Approach

Our approach is rooted in community. For generations, elders were valued as sources of wisdom, knowledge and experience. Strong communities ensured that people remained connected and supported throughout their lives.

Through our programmes and activities, we create opportunities for older people to build friendships, share experiences, learn new skills, and strengthen connections across generations. Just as importantly, we create spaces where people feel welcomed, valued, and included.

Often, the most meaningful support comes through simple acts: a conversation, a shared meal, a phone call, a community outing, or a moment of laughter. Small acts of connection can make a profound difference to someone who feels isolated.

Our elders carry stories of pain, resilience, courage, love, and perseverance. By listening to those stories and valuing the people who hold them, we strengthen not only individual lives but our communities.

No one should have to face the weight of life’s challenges alone. Together, through compassion, connection and community, we can ensure that older people remain valued, supported, and included.

At Cassandra Centre, we proudly stand alongside our elders, helping to build the sense of belonging that everyone deserves.

Join us in Brixton on 27 November. Stand with us. Walk with us. Be part of the change.

This year marks 25 years since Cassandra’s death. As we honour her memory, we also remember all women and girls whose lives have been lost to gender-based violence.

On 27 November, as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Cassandra Centre will host an awareness walk in Brixton. This event is not only a commemoration but a call for collective action.

We will honour those whose lives have been taken, stand in solidarity with survivors, and challenge the attitudes, behaviours, and inequalities that allow violence to persist in our communities.

We are making a special appeal to men and boys to join us. Ending gender-based violence is everyone’s responsibility. Men and boys have a crucial role in promoting respect, challenging harmful behaviours, and helping to create safer communities for women and girls.

By coming together, we send a powerful message that violence against women and girls will not be tolerated and that lasting change requires all of us.

Together, we can help build a future where women and girls can live free from fear, abuse and violence.

Join us in Brixton on 27 November. Stand with us. Walk with us. Be part of the change.

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Our Spring 2021 Newsletter is here! To navigate to the next page of the newsletter, hover over the bottom of the newsletter page and select the down arrow to move to the next page. Alternatively you can click on this link to view and download the PDF: Spring 2021 Newsletter PDF.