Ben's Centre

08/06/2026

Can you help? Ben's Centre needs donations of:

🧥Large Coats/Jackets/Waterproofs
🎒Rucksacks
👖Men's Joggers
😴Sleeping bags

Your second hand items can make a huge difference to vulnerable people affected by addiction. If you have any of these items spare, please consider donating.

Donations can be dropped off at The Day Centre - 22 Wilkinson Street, S10 2GB. (10am-3:15pm) For more info on donating, visit benscentre.org/donate

05/06/2026

'My chest feels better and my COPD symptoms have eased and I am lot less breathless. It has helped me cut down. I was a really heavy smoker.'

Anthony (centre of pic) was a heavy lifelong smoker before getting help from the specialist to***co treatment team as part of a newly launched stop smoking pilot for people experiencing homelessness.

The scheme, launched by our to***co treatment team in partnership with Ben’s Centre Charity, aims to ensure that people experiencing homelessness can access smoking cessation support.

The specialist team offer supportive, non-judgemental conversations and tailored advice on to***co dependence. Individuals can also be offered referrals to community support services and provided with alternative strategies to stop smoking.

The average life expectancy for men experiencing homelessness in England is around 45 years and 43 for women, with smoking prevalence estimated to be around 80%.

It is also one of the biggest drivers of the health problems that this group experiences.

Their views on smoking often differ due to the psychological stress of meeting basic survival needs, the physical hazards of daily living and expectations of a shorter life, making quitting seem less important.

Full story in comments.

01/06/2026

It's Volunteers Week 2026!

"Ben's Centre thanks our dedicated and wonderful team of volunteers - both new and more established, each of whom make our day centre the sanctuary it is for those with drug & alcohol addiction here in Sheffield. Without them, Ben's Centre wouldn't be in the position it is of marking our 30th anniversary this year. Our volunteers team is comprised of people from a variety of backgrounds, from students to retired professionals, each one enriching our service and supporting the work of our staff team. From all of us at Ben's Centre, we'd like to offer our sincere thanks to all our volunteers who generously offer their time, care and empathy to vulnerable people we support." - Teresa Ravenshaw, Project Worker & Volunteers Coordinator

21/05/2026

Notice: Due to unforeseen circumstances the day centre will be closed tomorrow, Friday, 22nd May 🍊

07/05/2026

06/05/2026

A donation of just £5 each month would provide hot drinks & toast for one of our clients for a month. ☕

More than just a snack, this regular donation would ensure a vulnerable person would be greeted with a hot drink and buttered toast when they come to Ben's Centre in the morning, providing warmth and fuel for the day. 🧡

Our regular donors help donors provide us with long term reliable solutions for funding, and also provide a safety net for emergencies and unexpected costs. To set up a regular donation visit: https://www.benscentre.org/donate

28/04/2026

We really need donations of trousers and jogger bottoms for our clients. 👖

Small / Medium casual trousers or jogger bottoms are preferred.

Thanks to you, have been able to distribute clothing & essentials to vulnerable people 363 times so far this year. Your second hand items have a huge impact on the lives of people struggling with addiction in Sheffield. 🧡

See below for our full list of the items we'd appreciate most.

Coats/Jackets
Men's Joggers (30-34)
Women's Joggers (8-12)
Men's Shorts (30-34)
Men's Trainers (8-12)
Women's Trainers (3-7)
Sleeping bags
Shelf stable foods (i.e. tinned foods, pasta, snack bars)
Men's socks & pants (S/M, new/unused only)

Donations can be dropped off at The Day Centre - 22 Wilkinson Street, S10 2GB. (10am-3:15pm) For more info on donation, visit benscentre.org/donate

22/04/2026

"One of my favourite reasons for enjoying working at Ben’s Centre is the fact that I am making people’s days better by serving food with a warm smile on my face, and how kind our clients are with me and towards my work. Being from a different culture, if it wasn’t for the massive grin, I would have been mortified when I was told the lunch was “the dog’s b******s”, but it turned out to be the most memorable of the many compliments I hear at Ben’s Centre daily."

Our Chef Rui on why he enjoys working at Ben's Centre. To read more, check our new blog post: https://www.benscentre.org/bens-blog/2026/4/14/5gwvlrnzz72msj7ptromew8yt3fhyf

15/04/2026

"The trustees are delighted to welcome Sarah Batty as Chief Executive Officer of Ben’s Centre.

Sarah has taken up the challenge after 9 successful years at Rethink in Sheffield and has a proven track record of strong leadership and development. She is no stranger to Ben’s Centre having been closely involved with the organisation for the past two years. She has fresh ideas on how we can strengthen our provision, provide a more robust service for our service users and will without doubt guide and lead us through our 30th year and beyond.

We are extremely lucky to have a such a dedicated and visionary person join us."