2 RAF Marham men spend 12 Hours paddling in a Canoe in aid of St Matthews Housing and manage to raise £365 for the Trust

St Matthew Housing, formerly known as the Purfleet Trust received a cheque for £365 today from No IX (Bomber) Squadron based at RAF Marham.

St Matthew Housing is a charity helping homeless people in West Norfolk. The Charity is based in King's Lynn and has a hostel at Merchants Terrace in King's Lynn for 18 residents who have been made homeless.

St Matthew Housing is IX (Bomber) Squadron's chosen charity and they continue to support them throughout the year by raising funds, moving furniture donated to the charity, helping residents move the furniture into their new homes once they are ready to move into more permanent homes. The Squadron’s volunteers also carry out DIY jobs around the hostel, as and when required. The assistance given by the Squadron personnel, allows the charity to use important money elsewhere for example counselling, activities for residents and contingency food for those who arrive at the Trust with nothing at all.

Mrs Katie Smith, Supported Housing Manager
"It is a very challenging job supporting and resettling homeless individuals into a community and we don't always have the resources that we need. Yet again, RAF Marham, particularly IX (B) squadron has continued to support us, helping us to make a difference. The staff and residents would like to thank IX (B) squadron for their hospitality when we visited the squadron and in particular for their very generous cash donation. We are extremely gratefully for the support that we have received over the past 6 years and welcome the close working relationship in the future. Any money raised by the squadron is spent directly on our residents, mostly of whom come to our door with nothing."

Katie Smith
Supported Housing Manager
For more information about St Matthew Housing please contact :
Mrs Katie Smith on (01366) 382358
Purfleet Trust
Merchants Terrace
92-94 London Road
King’s Lynn
PE30 5EU

We put our canoe in the water at Hilgay at exactly 8:00 am on the 4th July 2007 and travelled up the River Wissey to meet the great River Ouse flowing south. The morning started reasonably well with good weather and little breeze. We made good distance for the first few hours and then the British summer took hold. The wind strength increased and the rain began. I don't know what bothered us more the fact that we didn't seem to make much headway against the wind or that the canoe was filling up from all the rain.

The middle part of the day was almost exclusively wet and windy. At the halfway point of our trip we sought refuge in that old mariners haunt, The Ship Inn at Brandon Creek. After sausage and mash and a few drinks (non-alcoholic of course) suitably refreshed we set off back towards Hilgay. The afternoon weather was a touch kinder and occasionally we glimpsed the sun through the storm clouds. We reached our starting point at 8:00 pm that day and to be honest neither of us had realised how sore your shoulders would become after 12 hours on the go. Despite a wet and windy day we met some nice people that waved and encouraged us during our journey and one retired gent who offered us a large brandy at 9:15 am!!!!!!! Nevertheless I am sure Andy and I would do it all again for such a good cause but I would consult the Met man first.

For more information, visit:
St Matthews Housing website

St Matthew Housing provides supported accommodation for single people who are either homeless or unsuitably housed.

We provide resettlement support to enable residents to successfully move onto independent accommodation and floating support to external service users who are at risk of losing their tenancies and becoming homeless.

We work in a way that enables people to achieve their individual goals, at their own pace, in their own communities.



Back to Stories