Over 50 people took part in Trinity’s first Firewalk on Friday 28th February 2020. Local companies including Lane Clark & Peacock, Capsticks, HCC, Fyffes, Elementel, HJS and Hyphen Architect helped raise £11,000 to support the homeless and most vulnerable in Winchester.

Fearless fundraisers were offered the ultimate challenge to walk, 15ft, across hot coals at a temperature over 1000 degrees to support local homeless people.

Sue McKenna, CEO at Trinity Winchester, said: “ We are astounded by the amount raised from our first Firewalking event, it was an exciting, new and a highly visual way to raise funds to support our vital work which will make a huge difference.”

Trinity is a charity providing support to homeless and vulnerable people in Winchester and the surrounding area. The charity operates from a day centre in central Winchester, offering practical and emotional support to help people out of homelessness and ready to move on to independent living and into employment.

The event was hosted by UK Firewalk, one of the UK’s leading firewalking companies. The walkers were trained by Scott Bell (Twice Guinness World Record holder for the greatest distance walked on fire) to walk safely walk across hot coals.

Trinity has planned several fundraising activities for the year ahead, including the biggest upcoming fundraiser for homelessness in Winchester, the Big Sleep Out which will be held in the grounds of the Winchester Cathedral on Friday 15th May 2020. We are hoping to beat last year total raised of £42,000 to support local homeless people. Other events include a cycling event, skydives, abseils, along with our well attended annual Black-Tie Dinner being held on Friday 9th October at the Holiday Inn Winchester.

Simplyhealth is to sponsor a year’s worth of check-ups and emergency treatment for homeless people visiting Trinity Winchester throughout 2020.

The service will be delivered through oral health charity Dentaid’s mobile dental surgery – with qualified dentists volunteering their time, skills and experience.

If someone is homeless, it is almost impossible to register with a dentist.  Oral health among homeless people is significantly worse than in the general population. 90% of homeless people reported issues with their mouth since becoming homeless and 60% had experienced severe dental pain.  People sleeping rough do not prioritise their health needs – 77% smoke and 39% take drugs.  The pain of tooth decay leads some individuals to extract their own teeth – in unhygienic circumstances with no anaesthetic.

Being able to smile again builds confidence and self-esteem – enabling people to go to job interviews with more assurance and interact socially, reducing the loneliness which often leads to mental ill-health.

Dave (not real name) says: “I was worried to go at first as it had been so long since I visited a dentist.  Trinity’s dentists changed my life.  They gave me back my smile again. Now I can move on with confidence and look for a job”.

Catherine Rutland, Clinical Director at Simplyhealth said: “Regular dental visits and a good brushing routine are important for maintaining both good oral health and reducing the risk of tooth decay. We know that more studies are increasingly finding links between oral health and common conditions including heart disease, dementia and diabetes, amplifying the need to increase understanding of good oral health.

“People who are homeless will find maintaining a good oral health routine difficult, which can lead to dental problems. By providing the opportunity through Dentaid for both immediate dental care and subsequent follow-up appointments and monitoring, we can help to improve the oral health and overall wellbeing of homeless patients.”

Trinity’s AGM is taking place on Wednesday 20th November at 7pm. We would love many local people and businesses to

join us, where you will have the opportunity to meet some of our clients and celebrate their success.

The evening will showcase various projects and work achieved over the past year, including details on our planned

accommodation project.

Light refreshments will be provided. Please contact Sue McKenna to let us know if you can attend, or if you would like

more information.

View Agenda 

View the AGM minutes from 2018