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

Trinity Winchester were delighted to have head chef Chris Baker from Rick Stein Winchester join them in the kitchen on Wednesday 14th July to serve his homemade lasagne for around 50 Trinity clients. Sue Mckenna, CEO, said “The food was delicious, it was a special treat for everyone at Trinity. We are really looking forward to exploring training and learning opportunities with the restaurant to help get some of our clients back into employment”.

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 get people out of homelessness and ready to move onto independent living and into employment.

During this year, Rick Stein Winchester have already taken part in Trinity’s Big Sleep Out, raised money through their charity lunches, supported their upcoming World Homeless Day Dinner and have additional cooking dates booked in for later this year.

Louis Rogers, General manger at Rick Stein Winchester, said “As well as helping to raise £1200 earlier in the year through our charity lunches, it’s been great to support such a wonderful local charity in any way we can.”

The charity has been overwhelmed by the support received by the restaurant and are looking forward to continuing building their partnership to help deliver on their mission which is to be the ‘go-to’ safe place for homeless and vulnerable people in Winchester

Trinity Winchester hosted its first Women’s Pampering Evening on Tuesday 18th June for its clients. Ladies were able to enjoy afternoon tea with scones, cakes and sandwiches whist dancing along to the strings of the Ukulele band. A variety of different treatments from hair and makeup to manicures and Indian hand massages were available for clients to enjoy throughout the evening.

Sharnna Carter, Community fundraiser at Trinity said ‘It was a lovely evening for all the women involved and gave them a chance to be pampered and feel special. The women were completely overwhelmed by the support, kindness and generosity, and are looking forward to the next one.”

It wouldn’t have been possible without all the generous donations and support from Lane Clark & Peacock, Solent University’s beauty team and Waitrose & Partners Chandlers Ford.