The Baseline Centre
The Baseline Centre, located in the heart of the Marlpit Housing Estate, is the home of Future Support and hosts our dedicated Baseline Support Team. The Baseline Team are there for local people who have nowhere else to turn, whether that’s offering a hand with filling out forms or providing long-term support for those experiencing real crisis, such as escaping abuse, avoiding eviction, recovering from substance misuse, settling spiralling debts and so on.
The Centre also:
- Operates as a Warm Hub for those who cannot afford to heat their homes during the cold Winter months
- Runs a community fridge for local people to access free food when they need it
- Provides free, healthy meals from its recently renovated community kitchen
- Hosts community skill building and social groups for local people
- Delivers emergency food hampers for hundreds of struggling families every Christmas
The Baseline Centre provides vital support in one of the most disadvantaged areas in the UK. We help hundreds of people to overcome real hardship and move back towards independent, safe and happy lives each year.
But with the Cost of Living crisis still ongoing, so many more people are in need of our help than we can support. We urgently need to increase our services to help more local people.
You can donate directly to Baseline here.
CAN Connect
CAN Connect is a service dedicated to alleviating loneliness and isolation in Norfolk. Together with Community Action Norfolk, our teams in North Norfolk and Breckland engage with hard to reach, isolated people and connect them with voluntary befrienders, local community groups and activities and support them to access local services and to build their confidence to re-engage with their communities.
You can listen to Rosie’s story about her experience as a befriender for the CAN Connect service below:
For more information about the service or about volunteering as a befriender, go to CAN Connect’s Website.
Pathways
Pathways is a combined effort to prevent rough sleeping in Norwich, with partners including St Martins Housing Trust, The Feed CIC, Salvation Army, Shelter and YMCA Norfolk.
Our role in the partnership is Tenancy Engagement and Resettlement, supporting former rough sleepers as they transition to permanent accommodation, offering them the necessary help to not only find a place they can call home but also to ensure they can sustain their tenancies long-term.
Money Matters
Money Matters provides essential financial support for local people in Norwich who are facing financial crises. Our team offers one-to-one guidance, helping individuals establish manageable budgets, set up debt repayment plans, and gain control over their finances.
The project also addresses broader factors influencing financial resilience, such as housing, employment, and mental health, ensuring a comprehensive approach to overcoming financial challenges. By addressing immediate financial concerns and equipping participants with long-term money management skills, we empower them to achieve lasting financial independence and stability.
In addition to personalised support, Money Matters extends its reach through radio shows and podcasts, sharing practical financial tips and advice with the wider community. These broadcasts focus on improving financial literacy across Greater Norwich, raising awareness of available services, and offering simple strategies for effective money management.
Money Matters is supported by the Aviva Foundation
Brighter Futures
Brighter Futures is designed to help long-term unemployed people in Norwich gain access to education, training, and employment. In collaboration with Voluntary Norfolk, we offer tailored one-to-one support, creating personalised pathways for each participant.
Our team works to remove barriers to progression by addressing the specific challenges individuals face, ensuring they have the resources and guidance to move toward meaningful work. Through volunteering opportunities, participants can build confidence, gain real-world experience, and develop the skills needed to enter or return to the workforce.
The project also provides access to formal education and training, helping individuals build new qualifications and explore various career options. We facilitate work experience placements, preparing participants for the workplace while supporting local employers to engage with and adapt to diverse communities.
This Project has been supported by Norwich City Council and is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Youth Serious Violence Duty
The Youth Serious Violence Duty project offers dedicated one-to-one support to young people aged 17 to 25 in Norwich who are at risk of being involved in serious violence, either as victims or offenders. We work with individuals during critical transitions — such as when they age out of children’s services or leave the care system — to reduce exposure to risk factors associated with violence. Our trauma-informed, person-centred approach addresses all aspects of a young person’s life, including housing, education, employment, mental health, and wellbeing.
Participants receive tailored guidance and support, helping them navigate services, build life skills, and access training, volunteering, and work opportunities. The Life Connector provides both practical support, such as assistance with housing and welfare benefits, and emotional guidance, focusing on building better relationships, self-reflection, and restorative practices. By empowering participants with the tools to lead independent and safer lives, the project aims to reduce long-term risks associated with serious violence and offer sustainable outcomes beyond our support.
Funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Hardship Support
Since the onset of the Cost of Living crisis, our frontline support teams have been doing everything they can to ensure local people have access to the help they need. We offer practical support for those facing extreme hardship, including help with money management and debts, access to emergency food through our community fridge, and free community meals.
We have also provided back-to-school packs for children, and opportunities to build work skills through volunteering at our Baseline Centre, empowering residents to take steps toward financial independence.
In addition to individual support, we host a range of community activities, including groups and workshops, organising visits from the dental bus for local residents to access free dental check-ups, and a Wellness Festival, bringing free services such as health screenings, haircuts, and advice from multi-agency partners. Together, these services provide a comprehensive, long-term approach to easing financial pressure and promoting stability for struggling households.
Our Hardship Services are supported by multiple supporters, particularly the Household Support Fund and the Community-Based Hardship Support Fund through Norfolk Community Foundation
Apollo
The Apollo Project provides unemployed or economically inactive individuals with the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience in the Health and Social Care sector through volunteering at our Baseline Centre. Led by a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator, the project offers a structured programme of work-readiness training, on-the-job learning, and formal qualifications from specialist providers. Participants build confidence and develop the skills necessary to move into employment or advanced placements within the sector.
Targeted recruitment focuses on individuals struggling to find employment independently, offering them personalised support and practical experience. Volunteers are trained in roles such as administration, data monitoring, and triage at the Centre, while also being supported to take on leadership roles to assist others. The Apollo Project works in collaboration with local Health and Social Care organisations to create pathways to long-term employment and specialised roles, helping participants build meaningful careers in the sector.
Supported by Norfolk Community Foundation
through Apollo
