Our history and evolution
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Sister Eileen O’Mahony DC
1st Nov 1924 to 4th Jan 2018
NOAH’S Evolution
Sister Eileen, a Daughter of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, came to Luton to give support to a Parish in Luton for 6 weeks and ended up staying 13 years.
Her vocation and her heart were in the service of the poor, she was unstinting, dynamic, passionate, compassionate, loving and undaunted in pursuing and delivering it. Her faith was her anchor and her trust in God her compass.
In April 1987 Sr Eileen came to Luton on her way to her Community in Bristol. She came to give some service to a Parish in Luton for 6 weeks. She ended up staying 13 years!
Sister Eileen saw the poverty in Luton, particularly street homelessness, and during a conversation with others about this, she was offered the use of a block of condemned flats. In April 1987, without any money she took up the offer and moved in with her then sole supporter, Sister Antoinette, a nun of the community of the Franciscan order of the Sisters of St Claire.
When the flats were about to be demolished in 1991, the Council who had seen the value of the work, offered an alternative site on a peppercorn rent, Sister Eileen moved into 141 Park Street, Luton LU1 3HG in October 1991.
The project had been known as the Luton Irish Advisory Bureau but was re-titled in 1993 to ‘The Luton Day Centre for the Homeless’ reflecting the work they were doing.
The range of people they were helping extended to include socially excluded people, including street homeless, those suffering from alcohol dependency, drug and other substance misuse, physical/mental abuse, asylum seekers, those released into the community from mental health institutions or prison, as well as those socially excluded through isolation. Referrals come by way of the Police, Probation, Health and Social Services, and personal recommendation as well as through other voluntary agencies.
Training courses were introduced in October 1994, and a dedicated training centre opened in High Town Road in the Autumn of 1996, specialising in craft skills (carpentry), basic and life skills (literacy and numeracy).
The Training Centre was run in conjunction with Dunstable College, now Central Bedfordshire College.
In September 1999, recognising many were sensitive about the perceived stigma associated with the term “homeless”, the name of the project was changed from The Luton Day Centre for the Homeless to NOAH, an abbreviation of New Opportunities And Horizons, which they felt reflected the ethos of the organisation.
Sister Eileen retired in 2000 at the age of 75 and Jim O’Connor, picked up the reins.
One of the things local people remember NOAH for is our furniture shop which was opened in 2003, selling recycled and upcycled furniture in a large unit in Power Court, Church Street, Luton. The number of people we could offer work experience and skills training to, grew from 2 to 200 annually. With service users from our Welfare Centre, and others from the local community who were long-term unemployed, gaining the confidence to learn new skills and return to work or find work for the first time.
Unfortunately, when the area was cleared for development, our furniture store had to close, however, in 2014, we introduced our Training & Development function to provide a bridge between gaining practical skills through work experience, and training in basic English, Digital Skills and Employability to help people into work.
This holistic approach geared to improving the quality of life of those among the most disadvantaged in our community has had, in many instances, an amazing impact that are witnessed in several of our own case studies.
NOAH provides a pathway from the streets to employment.
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