In March, Housing First Europe Hub welcomed their 8th cohort of Housing First Leaders to their prestigious Train the Trainer programme.
Among the 20 successful applicants was Petrus’ own Nicola Wilson, who has worked for Housing First for five and a half years. Speaking about the opportunity, she said:
“I’m really pleased to have been selected for the Train the Trainer programme. After working in Housing First for more than five years, I’ve seen first‑hand the difference it makes to people’s lives and what it means for people experiencing homelessness.”
“Being able to represent Greater Manchester within the wider European Housing First network is something I’m incredibly proud of. I’m looking forward to learning from colleagues across Europe and bringing that knowledge back to strengthen the support we offer here at home.”
What is Housing First?
Housing First is an evidence-based approach to ending homelessness that provides permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness - without requiring preconditions. Once housed, people are offered wraparound support services tailored to their needs.
The Greater Manchester partnership, led by Great Places Housing Group, has been running since 2019 and has helped 450 people escape homelessness and entrenched rough sleeping and into a home of their own.
How are Petrus involved?
The partnership in Greater Manchester is separated into four zones, with Petrus leading Zone B which covers Bolton, Bury and Rochdale.
Each zone has a Housing First team comprising a Zone Lead, Team Leads, and Housing First Workers. The Zone Lead has overall responsibility for the services delivered in that zone. Team Leads and Housing First Workers deliver bespoke support to people on the programme, aligned with the 7 Housing First Principles.
Nicola is the Housing First Team Leader for our zone.
What is Housing First Europe Hub’s Train the Trainer programme?
Over three sessions, the Train the Trainer programme brings Housing First leaders from across Europe together to share best practice and develop the skills needed to introduce, strengthen and scale the model in different their regions.
This course is designed for people who want to become Housing First trainers, providing them with a deep understanding of the Housing First approach and the training skills to allow them to teach the Housing First principles and philosophy to a wide range of audiences (frontline workers, civil servants, housing providers, funders, etc.).
Nicola will be travelling to Belgium, Italy and Austria to take part in the sessions, connecting with colleagues from across the continent!
What does this mean for our region?
For Greater Manchester, this represents a valuable opportunity. Once Nicola completes the programme, the region will have a certified Housing First trainer within its own workforce and ensure that Housing First principles are consistently embedded across teams, as well as supporting new staff with high‑quality, locally delivered training.
Nicola’s involvement will highlight the fantastic work being delivered by teams across Greater Manchester and contribute to the development of Housing First across Europe.
How can you support people experiencing homelessness?
You can help us achieve our vision of ending homelessness and creating safe places where all people can flourish by donating, fundraising or volunteering with Petrus!
Find out more on our fundraising pages.
We’re so proud of Nicola and excited to share her progress, keep an eye on our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for updates from her travels.