Vision of Hope works with people who have suffered through abuse and addiction. Many are referred to us through the probation system and we work closely with probation services. My family had supported the charity for many years and my husband and I started volunteering with them during lockdown.
I was quite nervous of working with addicts and absolutely petrified at the thought of visiting prisons! However as I’ve been reminded many times over the last two years, the Lord doesn’t choose the equipped, he equips the ones he chooses! In November 2021 I became manager of the charity and in 2023, the director. I can honestly say that it has been an honour to be a part of this work. It is a joy and a privilege to see the Lord at work in men’s broken, damaged lives and see them living new lives, with Christ at the centre.
Bringing faith into the day to day work
When people apply to come to Vision of Hope they know that we are a Christian charity. When we interview them we explain what that means and what they will be expected to take part in if they come to us. Each day starts with a devotional time and ends with an evening meeting, and we all go to church on Sunday. The staff and trustees are all Christians, which means that we have opportunities to share our faith with the men in informal conversations, presenting Jesus as the only real hope of a future.
Whilst our prayer is that everyone who comes through our doors will be saved, we also have to cater for their other needs. Most of our residents arrive in a poor physical condition, the result of years of neglecting and abusing themselves. Provision of a comfortable bed, hot shower, regular meals, clean clothes and a listening ear all make a huge difference within a very short period of time. For some residents, however, this can all be overwhelming. Some have been so used to fending for themselves that they find it hard to accept that people genuinely want to help them but want nothing in return.
We are based on a farm and use ‘animal-assisted therapy’ as part of our programme. The men spend time caring for the animals and many tell us that the reason they get up in the morning is because the animals need them.
Our residents are encouraged to participate in a range of courses and training which will better equip them to gain employment when they are ready to leave us. We work with people to rebuild family relationships and many will keep in touch with us once they have left. It is a thrill to see men leaving their old ways, reuniting with their families and gaining employment but our prayer is that they would also commit their lives to God, which we know is their only real hope for the future.
How can you help?
There are a variety of ways that you could support us. We need volunteers, knitters and donations of toiletries and food. We need help to build a new website. Most of all we need people to pray for us. We believe that prayer changes things. We are involved in difficult work in challenging circumstances and would ask you to join us in praying that everything we do would be at the centre of God’s plan for us and that he would protect and strengthen us.
We are currently looking for the right premises to move to. Please pray that the Lord’s plan for us will be clear and that the changes which take place will cause minimal disruption to our residents and our work. We have recently been inundated with applications; as much as we all love the work, this serves as a sad reminder of the plight of so many in our society. The work is indeed plentiful and our prayer is that we would keep the Lord Jesus at the centre of all that we do.
June’s story
I’m originally from Glasgow. I had a good upbringing but at the age of thirteen I got mixed up with an older crowd who were using soft drugs such as cannabis, benzodiazepines and amphetamines. In order to fit in, I joined in with them.
At sixteen years old I found myself addicted to heroin which led me down a path of destruction and destructive relationships. At that time I felt there was no way out. When I was twenty two I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Whilst I was in the hospital, my GP found me a place at a Christian rehabilitation centre. Reluctantly I decided to give it a chance. I had never heard the gospel up until this point.
I would listen to the other girls on the programme telling me how God had helped them break their drug addiction and how he was helping them deal with things in their lives. This was the first time I heard that you could be this close to God. I gave my life to God after a few weeks. Nothing changed straight away. I was still struggling with my addiction and I had a lot of guilt. One evening I was lying on my bed still withdrawing from drugs. I prayed and asked God for help. The next day God answered my prayer. I thought, ‘This is amazing.’ Every day I started to believe a little bit more. I would have good days and bad days. I still faced temptation with my addiction, but instead of running back to what I knew, I got people to pray for me and with me. I started to read my Bible, and as the years and months went on, I got stronger in my faith.
God has totally transformed my life! For the last twenty years I have been blessed to work in a Christian rehab, sharing the hope that I found in Christ with others that have found themselves bound with the chains of addiction. God has blessed me with my husband and two boys. I thank God for everything He has done and continues to do.
