A joining of forces
Framework was formed in 2001 after the merger of two Nottingham-based charities, Macedon and Nottingham Help the Homeless Association (NHHA) – merged.
Macedon
Macedon began life as the Macedon Christian Coffee Bar in 1973 at the Albion Congregational Church in Sneinton – which later became the Albion Nightshelter and is now operated as modernised supported accommodation by Framework. Under the dynamic leadership of homelessness campaigner Christine Russell the charity developed a high profile in Nottingham and enjoyed widespread public support particularly among churches.
By the late 1990s Macedon had become the largest provider of services for homeless people in Nottingham with particular expertise in providing support and accommodation for people with drug problems. It had also developed specialist accommodation for women – including women fleeing domestic violence and teenage parents.
Nottingham Help the Homeless Association
Nottingham Help the Homeless Association (NHHA) was set up in 1970 in response to the death of homeless people on Nottingham’s streets the previous winter. Encouraged by the City Council to address street homelessness, NHHA developed the Canal Street Nightshelter. It also developed innovative approaches to working with people with alcohol problems – as at the Handel Street Day Centre (opened in 1991 and closed in the cuts of 2011) which was unique at the time in allowing the consumption of alcohol on the premises.
