What we do
We have been working to improve the lives of children and families for over 30 years by providing services across the City of Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport.
We are an organisation with a reputation for developing innovative responses to people who are struggling to improve their family’s difficult circumstances whether from homelessness or family breakdown. We work with families, children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Having no home is the tip of the iceberg; we help families tackle the underlying and often complex issues which can lead to homelessness. We work with people who are struggling with anxiety and depression, other mental health issues, family relationship breakdown, parenting challenges, poverty, social isolation and many other difficulties. We offer practical help and support to enable people to manage their money, home and children. We actively seek to make a difference and support families to achieve a positive outcome.
We place particular emphasis on meeting the needs of children. Poverty affects one in four children in the UK today. When children grow up poor they miss out on things most children take for granted – warm clothes, school trips, having friends over for tea. They do less well at school and earn less as adults. Any family can fall on hard times and find it difficult to make ends meet. We help parents to learn the skills needed to keep a safe roof over their children’s heads and be the parental role model their children need.
Our objectives are broadly:
To support families to enable them to provide the very best outcomes for their children
To support families in need
To support families who are suffering from the impact of relationship breakdown
To provide evolving pathways for families striving to improve their families circumstances
To form a partnership with our families and work with them to ensure the best possible outcome
Meeting changing needs
The Roberts Centre has responded flexibly to changing needs, with regular reviews of its services, in consultation with the families it supports. We are focused on supporting families to alleviate their disadvantaged circumstances. Our services today include a nursery, child contact services, temporary and supported housing and the provision of support services for families, children, young people leaving care and vulnerable adults.
Our services have been nationally recognised on a number of occasions. In 1998 the centre won the Dulux National Community Project of the Year. In 2002 and 2003 respectively, our Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation Services were chosen as national models of good practice by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Since 2008, we have leased premises in Gamble Road for our resettlement services but in the future it is hoped to bring all our services together in one purpose built centre. Planning and fundraising for this aim is ongoing at present.
Mission statement
Our Vision
Working together to improve the lives of Children and Families
Our Mission
To work with partners to deliver services that support vulnerable people, families and children giving them all the best possible chances to achieve their potential through social inclusion.
Our Values
Commitment to supporting vulnerable families to enable them to provide the very best outcomes for their children
Develop new services in response to identified need
Provide services to meet the specific needs of the communities we serve
Provide evolving pathways for vulnerable people and families striving to improve their circumstances
Our strengths lie in our ability to provide diverse services to families in partnership with other organisations. The Roberts Centre is a registered charity and regulated by the Charity Commission.
History and background
In 1985 a group of concerned individuals and organisations led by the Reverend Bill Sargent met to decide how best to respond to the forthcoming International Year of Shelter in 1987. Concern was expressed at the plight of the large number of families living in bed & breakfast accommodation in Portsmouth and Southsea. A day centre was seen as a practical response to meeting some of their needs.
A temporary day centre was run in church halls from 1987 to 1990. After consultation with families using the temporary day centre, the present Roberts Centre was leased from St. Mary’s Church on a 16 year arrangement and was converted at the cost of over £250,000. The Roberts Centre was formally opened by Diana, Princess of Wales on 16 October 1990.
The Centre was named The EC Roberts Centre after a major benefactor, Ernest Cullen Roberts whose bequest helped to meet a substantial part of the conversion costs. Ernest’s bequest was, to quote his last testament, ‘in loving memory of my mother Henrietta Jane Roberts born in Portsmouth in 1866’ who originally lived in Portsea with her mother and brother. Henrietta left for America in the early 1890s becoming a US citizen in 1893.
The bequest, in the region of £250,000, was left to the discretion of the Bishop of Portsmouth but was designated to be used for “the feed, care and clothing of the poor, orphaned, crippled and blind children of Portsmouth.“ When Henrietta emigrated to America in the 1890’s, there was significant poverty and social inequality in parts of the City, as described in 1896 by a local Priest, Father R.R.Dolling, in his published memoirs of his time in Portsmouth ‘10 Years in a Portsmouth slum’. His parish was St Agatha’s Church, which was situated in the streets adjoining where the Roberts Centre is located today. More than 100 years later, work by organisations such as the Roberts Centre is still very much needed.
After considerable consultation with a wide range of charities and government departments it was decided that the most appropriate use for the bequest was to fund a day centre for homeless families. A letter from the Bishop of Portsmouth on 19th November 1986 stated that ‘a bricks and mortar project would provide the most tangible and lasting memorial to the mother of the testator and most accurately fulfil the wishes of EC Roberts’.
In 1986 there were in the region of 600 families living in temporary accommodation with no provision to facilitate the preparation of meals, give children play space, do laundry or maintain normal family life. With Portsmouth having one of the densest populations outside London, the aim of the centre was to release families from isolation and encourage closer neighbourhood integration.
On April 1st 1998 the EC Roberts Centre became an independent charity registered with the Charity Commission, although under the umbrella of Portsmouth Housing Association, which later became part of the First Wessex Group. On 1 April 2009, the Roberts Centre became an autonomous organisation when it left the First Wessex Group.
In 2002 the parishioners of St. Mary’s Church agreed to sell the 84 Crasswell Street building to us, for which we are very grateful. The sale was completed in March 2003 and following this, £450,000 was spent improving and extending the building. In 2007, with support from Portsmouth Housing Association, the Roberts Centre purchased the adjoining building at 82 Crasswell Street and now owns all the land it occupies in Crasswell Street.
In 2017 we celebrated our 30th year. Highlights included a visit by EC Roberts family, Tom and Norma, who flew over from America to join us at Robert Bear’s Picnic Party. We were “Charity of the Year” at the amazing Goodwood Festival of Speed, had a service of celebration in St Thomas Cathedral and finished the year with a Gala Dinner at The Guildhall. We are grateful to all the companies, individuals and organisations who sponsored our 30th year celebrations and support our ongoing work. With their help we remain committed to continuing to respond to and where possible meet the needs of those we seek to support.