The Whitechapel Centre is 50 years old and for over half that time – in fact 28 years – David Carter has worked for the charity.
He initially joined in 1996 when there were just 10 people and a typewriter (no computers, no emails) to set up a supporter housing programme. He is now the CEO of a charity which has seen its services massively expand, needing a staff today of over 170 people.
And that’s the tragedy. That the number of people facing homelessness is now far greater than when the Whitechapel Centre began in 1975.
The charity’s vision is to end homelessness in the Liverpool City Region but it’s more than a vision. It’s a fight. A battle each year; each day, according to David.
“We’re good at fighting for people. We have to be. Each person’s circumstances are unique and we need to support them in whatever way they need. It can be so frustrating when things don’t work out but we don’t give up; we try and come up with something different – and we keep going until we get the answer.
“Although it’s terrible that we still need to exist, we can take this year to reflect on all those people no longer facing homelessness. By my estimates over 50,000 people have been helped by us since we began. That’s amazing, and proof that we’re winning the fight for individuals.”
Hope for the future
David continues, “But we’re also fighting to change the bigger picture. We’re able to influence the powers that be. We punch above our weight and we create change. And that’s where hope for the future comes from. We never settle and accept; we’re always driven to achieve more. And it’s that drive which will see Whitechapel succeed to create the changes needed.”
David’s passion for ending homelessness was ignited when he took a year out of University to investigate offending from a social perspective, based in a juvenile justice centre in Birmingham. He remembers, “I realised most crime can be prevented and the biggest issues are poverty and homelessness. When you’re 20 you have idealistic optimism that you can change things with the right intervention and support. Then I was seeing the effects of homelessness and poverty - I still had the idealism of wanting to make a difference but saw the reality of poverty so deep. How do you change that?”
David went on to do a post graduate degree in housing law, then worked for a housing association before coming to Whitechapel. That idealism – tempered by grim reality – continues to spur David on to make a difference in people’s lives.
Remembering his initial years at Whitechapel, he says, “Lottery funding enabled us to pilot projects. We wanted to see what worked and used the time to pilot, deliver, evaluate and secure funding, which we did in 1999, to expand the services.”
He has seen many changes at the Whitechapel Centre, including a street outreach programme, hospital in-reach, running hostels, a harm reduction service, a new beginnings project, and a recovery support service – to name just a few.
“We’ve learnt so much, our services have really developed, the range of different interventions, the partnerships. Change doesn’t happen in isolation. We are moving in the right direction but sufficient funding and affordable housing are now real problems. But we have to be hopeful. History has shown us that the adaptability, flexibility, tenacity and creativity of third sector is what brings solutions.”
David Carter has seen much change at The Whitechapel Centre
Massive impact
One of David’s first clients still brings a smile. “I rehoused an older gentleman in his sixties. He had never lived independently. He was a long term alcohol user and very vulnerable - financially abused by a family member. People didn’t think he’d cope with being housed. People said to me ‘don’t put him forward’ but I assessed he could manage with the right support and he stayed in that flat for over a decade, until he died. It’s about believing in people and their possibilities, that your support can help change the situation, can really make a difference. And when it does succeed, and you can see the pride in the person and their achievements, it’s lovely. Giving people hope is amazing.
“One of the best things about Whitechapel is the staff who want to make a difference and bring hope for the future. Yes, things look bleak in terms of the current housing crisis but staff will do their utmost to make a difference and that all adds up. Individual belief and collective actions – the impact is massive.
“Staff here see the good in people whatever their circumstances, we see that potential and build on that potential. So many people had had their lives destroyed or taken away and we help give them the foundation to stand up again. To fight back. To end homelessness.”
David Carter
