About Us
The Nehemiah Project provides a home and support for vulnerable men with a history of addiction. Our residential Recovery Programme is abstinence-based where men can address the root causes of their addiction within a supportive environment. Our first stage houses are in Streatham and Croydon, and to find out more, please contact our Referrals Co-ordinator Paul Da Costa
At Nehemiah we believe that anyone can change their life, and this underpins all our work. Our holistic, peer group approach to recovery creates a safe place where men can go through the painful process of reviewing their lives and create a foundation on which to build their future.
How Your Support Helps
Our Residents have a history of addiction which has severely affected them, their families and the wider community. We enable these men to break this cycle of addiction, offending and homelessness, and provide the professional and life-changing support required to secure a new future.
See the impact your gifts have made in our 2023 Impact Report
The national average for remaining abstinent for one year is 30%; at Nehemiah 74% of Residents remain abstinent. Nearly 50% of released prisoners reoffend within 12 months and for London prisons this figure increases to 60%. At Nehemiah, as far as we know, only 5% of the men we have worked with in the last five years have reoffended.
Our Impact
Abstention Rate
We enable these men to break this cycle of addiction.
National Average 30%
Nehemiah Average 74%
Reoffend Rate
At Nehemiah, as far as we know, only 5% of the men we have worked with in the last five years have reoffended.
National 50%
London 60%
Nehemiah 5%
Our Staff
Abiodun Opaleye
Abi has been caretaker at our Stage 2 Clapham house for a number of years, ensuring that it all runs as smoothly as possible and that the residents have the best possible environment for them to continue on with their recovery journey. Abi is a great storyteller and is always on hand with words of wisdom garnered from his years of experience.
Adrienne Sissuh
Adrienne joined The Nehemiah Project in July 2011 bringing with her over 20 years of experience in the field of Health and Social Care. Adrienne has worked for various housing associations, managing a range of schemes for asylum seekers, refugees, homelessness, people with substance misuse problems and ex-offenders. She currently leads the Recovery Practitioners Team and oversees the New Future Programme.
Bridget Walker
Bridget joined the Recovery Team in March 2023 as the Office Administrator. After a year and a half of learning in this role, she has moved to the Referrals team as of September 2024. As a Referrals Practitioner, her role is to bring new residents into the charity and be a key point of contact for referring agencies. She is excited to be starting this next chapter of work at The Nehemiah Project and is looking forward to helping the charity grow in this new position.
Dawn Wilson
Dawn joined Nehemiah in February 2019 as the Family Programme Practitioner, where she has brought about some happy family reconciliations. Dawn works with men in all of our houses. As a part-time worker Dawn packs a lot into her three days, working Tuesday to Thursday inclusive
Emily Byrne
Emily joined The Nehemiah Project in 2023 to support Lois Ravenscroft with Fundraising and Communications. She has an MA in Media and Communications and a BA in English Literature and is passionate about supporting The Nehemiah Project in achieving their goals. She is particularly interested in representation in humanitarian communications. She also brings with her experience volunteering for the Order of Malta for many years.
Emily Unwin
Emily joined the Nehemiah Project in May 2021, bringing over three years of work experience as a recovery and resettlement worker with homeless people in a front line role. She has studied counselling with the CPCAB and is fascinated by human behaviour and understanding the power we have to change. Emily moved to London several years ago, embarking on a new career path which enables her to use her personal experiences of addiction to support others. As a Recovery Practitioner, Emily facilitates the CBT-based Recovery Programme, A New Future, and works one to one with our Residents.
Helen Malleappah
Helen joined TNP in October 2020. Helen brings in-depth experience of working with vulnerable adults and understanding of the problems our Residents face. Helen has worked at a PA and Office Manager to two CEOs, which would explain the efficient way in which she runs the 47TBG office. Her work as an HCA in the community and a private care home give her well-founded skills for the work that she does with us. Alongside this, Helen has studied Health and Social Care with the Open University, and has additional training in mental health support.
Iesher Sesay
Iesher joined Nehemiah in January 2024. Since graduating in Psychology and Criminology, Iesher has focussed on a career working with offenders both in prison and ex-offenders. Iesher has always been intrigued with the mind and behaviour, and how addiction can have an impact of this. She is very positive and passionate about recovery, and strongly encourages residents. Iesher is one of our facilitators and delivers the CBT-based Recovery Programme, A New Future, in our stage one Croydon house.
John Patience
Dr John Patience has been the CEO of The Nehemiah Project since 2011. John has been fascinated by behaviour change for many years, initially in what initiates this change and then later in how this interacts within complex social systems.
Josh Benfield
Josh joined The Nehemiah Project in Oct 2022 and brings with him frontline experience of working with those struggling with homelessness and addiction issues. As Operations Manager he, and his team, keep the charity ticking along, supporting the Recovery team in the essential work that they do with our residents. Josh is passionate about recovery and with his own personal experiences of addiction, views his role as part of paying forward what he has been fortunate enough to learn from others.
Katy joined Nehemiah in November 2023 as our Move-on Coordinator. Since graduating University in Psychology and Marketing, Katy worked in the mental health sector, supporting people who have psycho-social disabilities. Following this, she moved from Australia to the UK. Katy is passionate about recovery and helping the residents improve their overall wellbeing. Katy supports our stage 2 residents in reintegrating to society and facilitates the CBT-based Recovery Programme, A Brighter Future, on a weekly basis.
Lois Ravenscroft
Lois Ravenscroft is the Development Director for The Nehemiah Project responsible for securing income for the organisation. Lois has worked for over 25 years in the not-for-profit/voluntary sector, specialising in all areas of fundraising, with experience in fundraising for the arts, homelessness, disability, international relief and development.
Mark Ash
Mark is our Lived Experience Practitioner and brings with him invaluable experience and knowledge of drug addiction, homelessness, and the criminal justice system. Mark shares his experience, strength and hope to those entering the project to encourage others that change is possible.
Paul Da Costa
Paul has worked within the Criminal Justice system since 1995, working for various public sectors departments and joined Nehemiah in February 2019. Paul interviews and assesses applicants to join Nehemiah’s programme, as well as promoting our service to a wide range of agencies in the sector
Tracey Thomas
Tracey organises all the Charity’s accounts and administration, and keeps spending in line. Tracey has a PGDip in Business Administration, and as a CAP Money Adviser, she also takes modules in Budgeting in A New Future, and supports men in understanding and managing their finances.
Our Partner
The British Association of the Order of Malta
The British Association of the Order of Malta (BASMOM) has been working with the Nehemiah Project since 2016, providing expertise, funding and volunteer support to enable more men to break the cycle of addiction and crime. In partnership with BASMOM, Nehemiah‘s fourth house was established in Croydon and officially opened in June 2019.
BASMOM continues to support and work in partnership with the Nehemiah Project and wishes all their Residents the best of luck on their roads to recovery and freedom.
Our Trustees
Colin Matthews
Colin Matthews joined the Nehemiah board in 2021 and became Chair of Trustees in October 2022. Colin is an engineer. He was CEO of Heathrow Airport (2008-2014) and Chair of Highways England (2014-2020)
Kay Hunter Johnston
Kay joined The Nehemiah Project in December 2009 as a Trustee and was subsequently appointed Chief Executive in 2010. She retired in November 2012, and was reappointed as a Trustee. Kay trained as a solicitor with Allen & Overy, and subsequently became Company Secretary and Legal Counsel at The National Theatre. Kay has been involved in prison work for many years as a chaplaincy visitor at HMP Wandsworth, also helping to run Sycamore and the Alpha course in the prison. She has extensive practical experience of successful fundraising.
William Ansell
William was Director in Investment Management at Smith & Williamson until his retirement, following a long career in investment management. William has been involved for many years in a programme for mentoring ex-offenders organized by the Chaplaincy at Wormwood Scrubs.
Tony Watson
Tony worked for HM Prison Service for 20 years in various roles at their headquarters, until his retirement in 2011 from the post of Head of Offender Rights and Responsibilities in the National Offender Management Service. Tony is now Volunteer Chaplain at High Down Prison and also provides faith support for Nehemiah residents through our prayer groups.
Joanna Whitaker
Joanna was appointed to the Board in December 2016, and is also a Volunteer with the Order of Malta, primarily caring for the sick and disabled, and supporting the younger helpers. As a qualified Addictions Counsellor (University of Bath) and accredited Recovery Coach, Joanna is an experienced practitioner who brings a good understanding of the problems faced by Nehemiah’s Residents.
Gavin Boyle
Gavin worked for years in investment and finance, most recently with the Tudor Investment Corporation. Gavin is a Global Envoy for The Global Fund for Forgotten People, an initiative of the Order of Malta; in this capacity he seeks to visit projects either funded by, or which might be funded by, the Fund, as well as representing the Fund to potential supporters. Gavin is also an active supporter of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House where he is a member of the Director’s Circle of Funders, and UNICEF, where he is a Global Guardian. Gavin is a founding Director of the education-focused charity SHINE Trust where he served as Chairman for five years; since August 2000, SHINE has donated almost £25 million, helping 280,000 children from 5000 schools. The Gavin Boyle Fellowship in Cosmology and Exoplanetary Science has recently been endowed at Cambridge University, by a joint donation from Gavin and the Kavli Foundation, and aims at attracting outstanding observers and theorists with interests in the areas of Exoplanetary Science or Cosmology, and who have the potential to become leaders in their fields.
Tim Aikens
Tim Aikens is an independent management consultant based in London. Tim specialises in business transformation and organisation-related work, helping clients to create sustainable change and organisational structures that support their vision and help generate competitive advantage. Whilst his work has primarily been in the energy sector, Tim has worked across a broad range of industries including, telecommunications, public sector, defence, shipbuilding, and engineering, to name but a few. His work in Organisation has covered the full range from visioning, organisational structure, values and behaviours, to culture development and manpower planning. He has also worked in the human resources sector, including management development, training, competency and counselling. For the last twenty years he has worked with most of the major oil companies worldwide. Tim is Chair of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Wandsworth.
Olubunmi Olayisade
Bunmi became a member of the Nehemiah board in the year 2024. Bunmi trained and practised as an epidemiologist before switching to missions many years later. She held a senior management position at Church Mission Society and the Global office of the British Methodist Church. Bunmi also sat on UK Charity boards like Feed The Minds, The Nigeria Health Care Project-UK and the British & Foreign Bible Society. She remains involved in local and global missions.
Marta Musolino
Marta joined The Nehemiah Project board in 2023, having volunteered with the project for two years. Marta is a civil servant at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. She has been involved in several social innovation initiatives, supporting people experiencing homelessness and refugees, including funding the C.I.C. ‘Requalified’ to assist with the recognition of professional qualifications for refugees, and volunteering with the Order of Malta.
Our Trusts
Our Ambassadors
Richard Steer, Worldwide Chairman of Gleeds
Richard was appointed Chairman of Gleeds in 1999 and has grown the business into a global organisation with 71 offices worldwide. Richard is a champion of Gleeds’ philanthropic work and has generously supported Nehemiah, directing Gala Fundraising Balls and dinners. Richard worked with Nehemiah CEO Dr John Patience and others on ‘Rehabilitation by Design ‘ a paper which explores proposed prison reform in the UK, which was considered at UK government level.
Monsignor Roger Reader
Fr Roger Reader is priest at the Roman Catholic Church of St Mary Magdalen, Willesden Green, London. He was ordained in 1995 and worked full time in prisons from 1998, first as a chaplain at HMP Whitemoor for three years, and then for 12 years at Feltham Young Offenders Institute. Fr Roger worked part-time for six years at HMP Pentonville during his nine years as an Anglican clergyman before converting to Roman Catholicism. He has a passion to see men coming out of prison better supported, and was instrumental in establishing Nehemiah’s partnership with the British Association of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Family Support
Nehemiah’s Family Support programme helps Residents reconnect with their families, a significant motivator on the journey to recovery.
Our specialist Family Support Worker supports and advises Residents as they begin to take steps to communicate with family members. We know that when Residents have the support of their families, recovery becomes much more sustainable.
In addition, our Family Support Worker delivers support sessions to families in the community who are impacted by addiction.
Please contact Dawn on 07421 358329 or dawn.wilson@tnp.org.uk for more information.
Where We Work
Our Houses
Streatham
This is an eight-bedroom house with communal facilities and a staff team on site.
The Recovery Programme Team deliver A New Future, our first-stage CBT-based course, here every morning, with some additional courses in the afternoon.
The house is very close to public transport links and is on the 249 and 319 bus routes, and is situated opposite Tooting Bec Common, close to the Lido.
Croydon
This is a six-bedroom house with communal facilitiCBT-based recovery course, here every morning.
Nehemiah Works
Nehemiah Works is our employment and training programme for Nehemiah Residents, launched in March 2019. The programme provides pre-employment training, help with CV writing, job applications, interview skills and coaching, so that Residents can live independently and lead more fulfilling lives, which we believe will benefit both Residents themselves, and their families.
Nehemiah Residents often come with years of expertise in a wide range of trades and industry. Our aim is for every Resident to receive as much support as possible to get back into work and training and thus ensure a more sustainable recovery.
Publications
We annually review our Safeguarding Policy, allowing us to respond to the changing needs and requirements of our service users and legislation.
Download
This report is a systematic mapping of the stories of success from The Nehemiah Project (TNP), and it aims to identify the unifying factors of transformation in each of the participants’ histories.
Download
Accreditations
