Our Service to Guests

Doorway is a day centre located in The Salvation Army Hall, Foghamshire which is easily accessible in the centre of Chippenham, close to the shops, transport and services such as the Job Centre and the Citizen's Advice Bureau

Doorway currently operates two drop-in sessions each week - Monday morning and Thursday afternoon. During each session we provide:-

• Freshly prepared hot meals
• Personal showers
• Laundry facilities
• Clothing parcels
• Toiletries
• Sleeping bags
• One to one support from trained staff
• Signposting to specialist support and advice services where necessary
• Use of telephone for official calls
• An address for official correspondence
• A venue for social workers, drugs workers etc to interview guests
• Activities such as
  • newspapers
  • television
  • table tennis
  • computer games
  • music improvisation sessions
  • supervised IT sessions with internet access
  • creative writing

One of the questions we are regularly asked is why we dont charge for the services we provide during these sessions. The most important reason involves the concept of "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs"

Doorway needs to provide for the bottom layer of the pyramid, i.e. guests' basic needs, before we can attempt to address any issues further up the pyramid. We do not charge for food, washing or showers because this is how we encourage people through the door in the first place.

Once they are in the session and ready to engage, we can then use our 'extra' activities in order to assist them in moving up the layers of the pyramid. Sometimes guests need to visit on only one occasion to get the help that they require, but very often it takes a long time to break down the barriers, build trusting relationships and move people on in their lives.

At what point in the process do we decide that because a guest is not asking for help we should not allow them to use our facilities? Maybe it just needs a little more time and a little more patience and a large amount of belief in what we can achieve.

Diary of a Drop-in Session

As part of a recent funding application for a Support Services Manager submitted to Chippenham Borough Lands Charity, Doorway recorded the diary of a drop-in session to back up our claim that we don't just serve hot meals! › Diary of a drop-in session