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Concrete Rose Collective

concrete rose collective

Concrete Rose Collective is devoted to providing first-class support that responds to the needs of young people particular in the fields of accommodation and education. You can find out more about our vision and background below. Our vision Every young person living life to the full with the foundations and opportunities to flourish. Our mission To provide accommodation and support that enables young people to step into a better future. Current offer We provide supported lodgings for young people (including care leavers, those at risk of homelessness, unaccompanied asylum seekers and young parents). These are nurturing places, in host homes, that include exceptional levels of wrap-around support (for hosts and young people) and are founded on a therapeutic approach that is based in research and understands trauma. We do this generally, though not exclusively, through hosts from local churches. Our history The roots of Concrete Rose Collective CIC can be traced back long before its establishment as a Community Interest Company in 2020 and in particular to 20 years of support for marginalised young people by our founder Mike Farrington (see ‘Our People’ for more details). Increasingly evident over this time was the need to proactively respond to two priority areas essential in enabling young people to thrive: Accommodation: The need to provide safe, loving, and professionally supported accommodation options particularly in the area of semi-independent living enabling young people to successfully navigate the transition from home (or care) to adulthood. Education: The need for educational provision that focusses on character and emotional intelligence and where a range of talents and aspirations can be expressed and nurtured. The name comes from a poem and an audio extract from the hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur. Elements of both are written below and eloquently capture the tremendous resilience and tenacity that many young people have already shown in overcoming traumatic starts to life that may include abuse, childhood trauma and community dysfunction. It also echoes the notion that such trauma inevitably creates hurt, scars and the odd prickly spike but that, with some key ingredients, the outcome can be something of striking beauty that defies the past, points to the future, and beautifies the world. Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete Proving nature’s laws wrong It learned to walk without having feet Funny it seems but by keeping its dreams it learned to breathe fresh air Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else, even cared You try to plant somethin in the conrete, y’knowhatImean? If it grow, and the and the rose petal got all kind of Scratches and marks, you not gon’ say, “Damn, look at All the scratches and marks on the rose that grew from concrete” You gon’ be like, “Damn! A rose grew from the concrete?!” You see you wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had damaged petals. On the contrary, we would all celebrate its Tenacity. We would all love it’s will to reach the sun. Our ethos Concrete Rose has at its heart a Christian ethos. We do not impose these beliefs on others and we support, employ and work alongside those of all faiths and none. Our Christian ethos informs the ways in which we work and creates a culture which values the individual (and recognises their immeasurable worth and innate talents), empowers others and demonstrates a love and commitment that is long-term and resilient. We desire to see the young people we support live life to the full, realise their God-given potential and positively shape their future and the world around them. Make a difference Last year 121,000 young people (16-25) in the UK were homeless or at risk of homelessness. You could make a difference. Give young people the opportunity to build a firm foundation for the future by becoming an approved host through our supported lodgings scheme, ‘Room to spare’. We provide training, 24/7 support and start-up bursaries. Find out more by downloading our ‘Information for hosts’ brochure.

Creeksea Place

creeksea place

Essex

Creeksae Place Manor House Wedding Venue in Burnham, Essex has a rich history and meticulously kept gardens. The ideal venue for your weeding or event. Arthur Harris built Creeksea Place during the reign of Elizabeth 1st in 1569. It remained in his family for five generations after which it passed to the Mildmay family when Arthur’s great grand-daughter married Lord Mildmay. The current owners are the Bertorelli family and they too, coincidentally, have had five generations of ownership of this lovely historic Manor House during the reign of another Queen Elizabeth. In the intervening four and a half centuries much has occurred including many changes of ownership and usage. Now it is the determined wish of the current owners to continue the task of restoring this picturesque House to the glory it once was and to open the house and grounds up to the public at large. Once government restrictions allow, we will be hosting a myriad of varying and exciting public events. Arthur Harrys, as he was known in 1569, came from Prittlewell near Southend and was an important figure in those times. He had pledged to his Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, to raise a hundred men who would defend the monarchy if civil unrest ever occurred. His family flourished and has continued to do so today. There are literally thousands of Harris descendants around the world, particularly in the United States. Lord Mildmay who married his great grand-daughter, was also a man of importance. Charles I appointed him as ‘Keeper of the Crown Jewels’, a post equivalent to Chancellor of the Exchequer today. Lord Mildmay owned many other properties in England at this time and was a man of influence and power. So much so that he was one of the twelve men who signed the death warrant of his King. Upon the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 with Charles II, Lord Mildmay was also sentenced to death for regicide – the killing of the Monarch. He was fortunate though. Due, no doubt to his power and connections, his sentence was commuted but his power had waned. The next significant Creeksea moment occurred in the late 17th century. Due to the imposition of the Window Tax – tax on large houses with many windows; the North Wing was demolished. This was a wing that extended into what is now the car park. The footings of this part of the House was actually traced-out by an American Harris descendent in the last few years. There is also a story that the bricks from the North Wing were taken by barge to London where a street called Creeksea Lane was built. In a House with so much history, myths and legends remain abound. There are tales about secret tunnels from the House to the nearby River Crouch used for smuggling. However, what is true is the fact that there are no cellars in Creeksea Place, due no doubt to the relatively high water table. This would certainly prove a problem for tunnelers. Nevertheless, there is the remains of a gravity-fed fountain pipe that runs from the House to one of the lakes on the Estate and also evidence of two ten foot deep ice houses that would have been used for the preservation of vegetables and grain. There are many ghosts! The most prominent of which involves the marriage between Lord Mildmay and the great grand-daughter of Arthur Harris, who was not entirely happy with the union, and so the tragic bride is said to have committed suicide. Her ghost, known as ‘The Lady of the Lake’ has apparently been seen meandering her way across the Lawn, down to the lakes.