Advertisement
Housing

Homeless charity House of St Barnabas reopens after fire

The Soho townhouse has been helping the homeless since 1862

Celebrated London club and homeless charity The House of St Barnabas has reopened its doors after a fire damaged the building in March.

No one was hurt in the blaze at the Greek Street club on March 18,  but the house was closed for a short period to allow for cleaning and to prepare for repairs. It opened its doors again on Tuesday May 8.

The Grade 1-listed townhouse in Soho has been run as a charity to help those affected by homelessness since 1862, and has been home to a not-for-profit members club since 2013.

The venue also runs an employment training programme, with a goal “to create the strongest community of people  invested in creating a fair and equal society, where lasting work is a reality for people affected by homelessness”.

The employment academy has continued as usual, despite the recent fire, with the current participants of the Employment Preparation Programme graduating on May 3.

Sandra Schembri, the CEO of the House of St Barnabas, said:  “We are thrilled to welcome our members back into the House and we are soon to welcome the next round of participants on to our Employment Preparation Programme.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertisement

“We would like to thank the public for all their offers of help and support over the past few weeks to get ourselves back and running.”

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

Do you know how Big Issue 'really' works?

Watch this simple explanation.

Recommended for you

Read All
'I ended up on the streets for about 16 months. I wasn’t bedding down, I was taking buses at night'
London Big Issue vendor Simon Denis
Housing

'I ended up on the streets for about 16 months. I wasn’t bedding down, I was taking buses at night'

The horrific state of our social housing is a stain on the nation. There's only one way to fix it
Social housing
Social housing

The horrific state of our social housing is a stain on the nation. There's only one way to fix it

Revealed: One in every 21 people sentenced over 2024 riots was experiencing homelessness
Anti-immigration protesters confront riot police in Manchester in 2024 riots
Homelessness

Revealed: One in every 21 people sentenced over 2024 riots was experiencing homelessness

If food prices had risen like rents since 1988, a block of cheese would cost £20
A grocery shop
food

If food prices had risen like rents since 1988, a block of cheese would cost £20

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payments: Where to get help in 2025 now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payments: Where to get help in 2025 now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue