The Cardinal Hume Centre, which has transformed the lives of so many people living with poverty and homelessness, celebrated the completion of a £1m rebuild project on 28th February 2019. Bishop Nicholas Hudson blessed the revamped building and all staff and volunteers who work to serve the needs of the Centre’s clients.
Thanking all who were involved in this ‘fantastic achievement’, he said: ‘I’m a Trustee myself; and very proud to see the Cardinal Hume Centre make this statement, in bricks and mortar, this million-pound statement of our belief in the importance of everyone whose life has been and is being turned around by the Centre.
‘I know Cardinal Hume would have felt the same. He was absolutely convinced, as we should be too, that “every person matters”; every single person is as important as the other.’
Recalling Cardinal Hume’s concern for the homeless, Bishop Nicholas explained that ‘at the end of a long day’s work, [Cardinal Hume would] put on his mac and go out onto the streets of Westminster to ask the homeless if they were all right.’
It was this concern which led Cardinal Hume to ask ‘the help of those who had money to help him establish the Cardinal Hume Centre,’ added Bishop Nicholas. ‘I know he would be so proud to see what the Cardinal Hume Centre has become; so proud of all of you for continuing this work. Never would he have called it his work. No, he was absolutely clear: it was God’s work. He often used to say there is actually an unbreakable bond between love of God and love of our neighbour. That’s to say you can’t love God without loving your neighbour. At the Cardinal Hume Centre we know that, we experience it, we announce it.’
The redesigned building aims to reflect the Benedictine ethos of welcome, sanctuary and support which was so important to the Centre’s founder, and underpins the vital work of the charity to this day. Major improvements include a new welcome and assessment centre, an attractive family area, better working space for the housing, welfare rights and immigration advice teams, extra interview rooms, an upgraded play space for children and families, and enhanced and extended training facilities. The flexible space makes it possible to adapt and offer different services in future in response to emerging need.
For more information about the Cardinal Hume Centre, visit www.cardinalhumecentre.org.uk
