Engaging with Homeless People in Salisbury

Guest Speakers: Leah Palmer and Jasmine O’Leary from Alabare

Salisbury Listening Place welcomed the Mayor of Salisbury, Cllr Jenny Bolwell, to its Annual Open Evening on Tuesday 22^nd September. Addressing a packed audience, Leah and Jasmine from Alabare spoke about ‘Engaging with Homeless People in Salisbury’. Leah shared her experience of homelessness, stressing that it can happen to anyone for many reasons. She became homeless after her landlord issued a Section 21 notice that he required her rented property for a relative.  Despite the landlord saying that she had been an exemplary tenant, Leah could not find suitable alternative accommodation.

The evening continued with an interactive role-play session contrasting unhelpful ways of engaging homeless people with more appropriate approaches. Thanking the speakers, Rev Cecil King noted the strong connection with the approach taken by Listeners at the Listening Place: treating people with respect, remaining non-judgmental, listening carefully and truly hearing what they say.  Leah and Jasmine then offered practical advice about support available through Alabare and other agencies.

During the Q&A session, the Mayor described her own experience of homelessness as a young teenager, which continues to shape her compassion, understanding and support for homeless people.

 

Would you like to be a volunteer listener for The Listening Place?

 

People who want to be Listeners are asked to attend

two days of training in listening.

The next course will be Saturday 17th

and Saturday 24th October 2026

from 10 am to 2 pm

at Salisbury Methodist Church SP1 1EF

E: salisburylisteningplace@gmail.com

T: 01722 325 294

Bring your own lunch

Nearest car park Salt Lane SP1 1ED

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Our Listeners are on duty three times a week and we have the capacity to help more people. If you know of anyone who is lonely, depressed, grieving, angry or worried and needs a ‘listening ear’ then recommend our service. It may be a family member or friend or just the person you talk to at the bus stop.

Everyone deserves to be listened to and heard.

Opening hours: Wednesday and Saturday mornings 10 – 12 noon.

Monday evenings 5 – 7.30pm. Walk-ins welcome.

To make an appointment: 01722 325 294 or manager@thelisteningplace.org.uk

Further information: www.thelisteningplace.org.uk

The tree will be displayed at the Festival at St. Thomas’s Church from 2nd to 7th December. A full programme of music together with festive food and hot drinks will get you in the festive spirit. Over 100 trees decorated by organisations and groups make a spectacular display and donations received this year will benefit Julia’s House and Cloud House.

Celebrating 20 Years of Listening

 

Salisbury’s own ‘Listening Place’ celebrated 20 years of listening to the local community on Tuesday 10^th September with a cake and an interesting talk given by Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist, titled ‘Anxiety is a Gift’.

Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place welcomed the packed audience, which included Listeners, both past and present.  She recalled the struggle to get the whole enterprise off the ground and how determined the Founders of The Listening Place were to realise their vision of a free, accessible service where people from the local community could be listened to without interruption or judgement.

The Rev Canon Ann Long, one of the original Listeners, described how she followed in the footsteps of the late Julia Waters who was inspired to establish The Listening Place. She said it had been a privilege to work alongside those Listening and being Listened to.  Sue thanked Ann and also presented Mary Mitchell, who was retiring after 20 years of service, with a gift and flowers, in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution to The Listening Place.

Caroline Cavanagh, who donated her talk in memory of her father, followed with a lively and challenging talk, ‘Anxiety is a Gift’.  She gave the audience three key ways to transform anxiety (or fear) into positive energy in our own lives.  Firstly, by considering whether the risk is real or imaginary.  Secondly by taking small steps out of our comfort zone to challenge the perceived risk and thirdly by ‘flipping’ negative thoughts into positive ones.  Most ‘what if?’ thoughts are negative and it’s easy to fall down the negative ‘rabbit hole’ and become anxious.  Given practice, anxiety could be seen as a gift, by using it to train our minds to think positively.  Many questions were posed by the audience in response and Caroline engaged in a discussion of the points raised.  As a ‘thank you’ for being the speaker, Caroline was presented with a basket of Fairtrade goods by Sue Robbins.

The evening ended with the cutting of the Anniversary cake, light refreshments and an opportunity to chat with Caroline and each other.

 

The Listening Place is based at Salisbury Methodist Church in St Edmunds Church St, Salisbury SP1 1EF.  It provides a free confidential drop-in service on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 10am – 12noon and Monday evenings 5.30pm – 7.30pm.  Alternatively, appointments can be made by phoning 01722 325 294 within these hours, or by leaving a message on the answer phone.  Or by emailing: salisburylisteningplace@gmail.com

For further information: www.thelisteningplace.org.uk

 

Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist helps people to understand anxiety and to use this knowledge to increase mental resilience and performance.

Caroline is a Professional Speaker, Published Author, National Award-Winning Therapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Master NLP Practitioner.

Above all she’s a lady who loves to help people feel mentally stronger.

For more information: www.carolinecavanagh.co.uk

 

The 20^th Anniversary Cake

 

 

The Rev’d Canon Ann Long

The Rev’d Dr Mark Cheetham, Superintendent Minister, Salisbury Methodist Church with Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place, Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist and The Rev’d Canon Ann Long, Founder Member of The Listening Place.

 

Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place presenting a basket of Fairtrade goods to Caroline Cavanagh, Guest Speaker

 

Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place with Mary Mitchell, retiring Listener after 20