About
The Past: Our History
Arch is a registered charity (no. 701376) that operates throughout North Staffordshire and provides accommodation related support services to homeless people or people at risk of becoming homeless. The aim of the organisation is to support people to achieve and maintain their own homes and to become fully integrated members of the community in which they live. We have been in operation since 1989, and are a company limited by guarantee (no. 0235 7520).
The charity was formed when Resettlement Project North Staffs merged with Potteries Young Homeless Project, and became known as ‘Arch’. We have since grown further, and are now made up of several organisations…
Resettlement Project North Staffs (RPNS)
Resettlement Project North Staffs (RPNS) formed in 1989 with funding from an executive arm of the Department of Social Security and consisted of 14 members of staff. The project provided temporary accommodation with support and offered resettlement and tenancy support services for people either moving on from RPNS accommodation to their own tenancy, or already living in the community but at risk of eviction. The two latter services are now known as Floating Support.
Potteries Young Homeless Project (PYHP)
In 1984, a local forum of voluntary and statutory sector workers, concerned about the rise in local youth homelessness, founded PYHP. Before becoming part of Arch, this charity offered housing advice and temporary accommodation to young people between the ages of 16 to 25 who were either homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Elizabeth Trust
Arch again expanded in 2000 after we were approached regarding the acquisition of the Elizabeth Trust, a well-established organisation based in Newcastle-under-Lyme providing accommodation and support to women and their children escaping domestic violence. The Elizabeth Trust was founded in 1975 and was one of only two services of its kind operating in North Staffordshire. The Arch Floating Support Service was already engaged in work with families and the addition of the Elizabeth Trust provided an opportunity to broaden our range of service provision for this group.
Arch continues to operate the two women’s refuges set up by the Trust in 1976 (Elizabeth House and Tolkien House), and the project remains well known for its pioneering work with victims of domestic violence. Arch also took on the Domestic Violence Helpline, which the Elizabeth Trust began in 1999.
Highgate Projects
In 2002 and 2003, Stoke-on-Trent Social Services Department and North Staffs Probation Service invited us to tender for another two projects after the managing agency, Highgate Projects, had collapsed. Both tenders were successfully awarded to Arch. The first of these projects was the management of a 24-hour residential project for young people aged 16 and upwards leaving the care of the Local Authority, and the other, the management of a 29-bed project accommodating offenders.
The Department of Health later notified us that in order to continue to operate the young people's project we had to apply for registration as a voluntary Children's Home, regulated by the National Care Standards Commission. We received the award for Children’s Home status in 2003 and this project remains under contract to Stoke-on-Trent Social Services Department.
In recent years, we have continued to develop new areas of work in support of homeless people throughout North Staffordshire and in addition now operate a service specifically for refugees dispersed to the area.
The Present: Our Vision
Arch is dedicated to preventing and resolving homelessness across North Staffordshire. We offer flexible, non-judgemental and accessible services to any vulnerable person who needs them. We aim to provide long-term support and understanding so that our clients are able to address the issues affecting them, and achieve an independent life in the community.
We are managed by our dedicated voluntary Board of Trustees, who are responsible for the running of the organisation, and for supporting our Senior Management Team to effectively manage all Arch projects. The charity has a number of Patrons who publicly support our work.
To find out more about Arch’s performance and achievements, please see our Annual Report and Annual Accounts
Registered Office: Canalside, Pelham Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 3LL.