A group of former homeless young people in Flint have launched an Online Social Media website to help others who face similar experiences
www.thehomenet.org.uk was launched at The Quay Project, a Supported Living Scheme managed by Clwyd Alyn Housing Association in Greenfield, on October 16.
Created by and designed for homeless people ‘thehomenet.gov.uk’ first started when Jamie Nuttall, a tenant from The Quay Project wanted to use his IT skills and his knowledge of being homeless to help other people who are homeless or have the possibility in loosing their home.
“With the assistance of funding from Clwyd Crimebeat, other tenants and staff at the Quay Project then worked as a team to turn the idea into a reality,” said former Project Worker Ben Morris who worked with the residents developing the site.
“We organised regular meetings where all the details, from the name, the logo, the design and the content of the website could be developed. The aim of the project is to enable homeless people and those that have the potential to be homeless to meet and to share information and experiences,” added Ben who praised the energy and creativity of all the residents who worked on the initiative.
Users must register before using the site, which went live on October 16, after which they may create their own personal profile, add other users as friends, exchange messages, update their profile, post useful website links, share videos and photos, download forms, have discussions, take a poll, create blogs, chat and post events.
Additionally, users may join and create common-interest user groups, or other characteristics, and categorize their friends into lists such hostel or a topic such as ‘benefits’ or hobbies etc.
The initiative was praised by Kevin Hughes, Director of Care and Support at Clwyd Alyn who said that the Quay tenants were a real inspiration to others.
“Becoming homeless can happen to anyone, from any walk of life, and this is a superb example of the real experts, those who have experienced the problem first hand, being able to support others and show, as their slogan states, ‘you are never alone’.
The High Sheriff of Clwyd, Henry Dixon, who attended the launch event said: “I am delighted that Crimebeat has been able to support young people from The Quay Project who have developed such a worthwhile initiative. This is one of the best Crimebeat supported projects I’ve seen in my 7 months in office and I very much hope it gains widespread publicity and its benefits are circulated among the homeless community across Flintshire and North Wales.”Yn Y Fflint, mae grŵp o bobl ifanc a oedd yn arfer bod yn ddigartref wedi lansio gwefan Cyfryngau Cymdeithasol newydd i helpu eraill sy’n wynebu profiadau tebyg.
Cafodd www.thehomenet.org.uk ei lansio ar 16 Hydref ym Mhrosiect y Cei, Cynllun Byw â Chefnogaeth sy’n cael ei reoli gan Gymdeithas Tai Clwyd Alyn ym Maes Glas.
Mae ‘thehomenet.gov.uk’ wedi’i greu a’i gynllunio ar gyfer unigolion sy’n ddigartref. Jamie Nuttall, tenant o Brosiect y Cei feddyliodd am y syniad gan ei fod eisiau defnyddio ei sgiliau TG a’i brofiad o fod yn ddigartref i helpu eraill sy’n ddigartref neu sydd mewn perygl o golli eu cartref.
“Gyda chymorth ariannol gan Trechu Trosedd Clwyd, mi wnaeth tenantiaid eraill a staff Prosiect y Cei weithio fel tîm er mwyn datblygu’r syniad”, meddai’r Cyn Weithiwr Prosiect Ben Morris a weithiodd gyda’r trigolion i ddatblygu’r wefan.
“Mi wnaethom drefnu cyfarfodydd rheolaidd er mwyn i’r holl fanylion; yr enw, y logo, dyluniad a chynnwys y wefan gael eu trafod a’u datblygu. Nod y prosiect yw galluogi unigolion sy’n ddigartref a’r rhai hynny sydd mewn perygl o golli eu cartref gyfarfod a rhannu gwybodaeth a phrofiadau” ychwanegodd Ben, a wnaeth hefyd ganmol egni a chreadigrwydd yr holl drigolion a weithiodd ar y fenter.
Mae’n rhaid i’r defnyddwyr gofrestru cyn iddynt allu defnyddio’r wefan. Ar ôl gwneud hyn mae’n bosib iddynt greu eu proffil personol, ychwanegu defnyddwyr eraill fel ffrindiau, rhannu negeseuon, diweddaru eu proffil, postio dolenni i wefannau defnyddiol, rhannu fideos a lluniau, lawrlwytho ffurflenni, cynnal trafodaethau, cymryd rhan mewn arolygon barn, creu blogiau, sgwrsio a phostio gwybodaeth am ddigwyddiadau.
Hefyd, gall y defnyddwyr ymuno â, a chreu grwpiau ar gyfer unigolion sydd â diddordebau penodol neu nodweddion eraill a chategoreiddio eu ffrindiau e.e. hostel neu bwnc fel ‘budd-daliadau’ neu ‘diddordebau’ ayyb.
Cafodd y fenter ei chanmol gan Kevin Hughes, Cyfarwyddwr Gofal a Chefnogaeth yn Clwyd Alun ac fe ddywedodd bod tenantiaid Y Cei yn ysbrydoliaeth i eraill.
“Gall unrhyw un, o unrhyw gefndir, ddarganfod eu hunain yn ddigartref, ac mae hon yn enghraifft wych o’r gwir arbenigwyr, y rhai hynny sydd wedi profi’r broblem eu hunain, yn cefnogi eraill ac yn dangos, fel mae eu slogan yn ei ddweud, ‘dyda chi byth ar eich pen eich hun’.
Meddai Uchel Siryf Clwyd, Henry Dixon, a wnaeth fynychu’r lansiad: “Rwy’n falch iawn bod Trechu Trosedd wedi gallu cefnogi pobl ifanc o Brosiect Y Cei sydd wedi datblygu menter werth chweil. Dyma un o’r prosiectau gorau y mae Trechu Trosedd wedi’i gefnogi yn ystod y 7 mis yr wyf i wedi bod yn y swydd ac rwy’n mawr obeithio y bydd yn cael y cyhoeddusrwydd mae’n ei haeddu a bod y gymuned ddigartref ar draws Sir Y Fflint a Gogledd Cymru yn cael gwybod amdano”.