On Saturday 27 June 2009, a Craft Fair, organised by St Matthew Housing, part of Genesis Housing Group, was held at The Malthouse Project in Bury St Edmunds, drawing a crowd of around 150.

Outside in the courtyard, an array of crafts, including handmade cards, bespoke jewellery, wooden crafts, hand-blown glass and homemade cakes were available for sale.
Visitors to the Craft Fair were also able to take a walk around The Malthouse Project, a former 17th Century maltings and pop into the award-winning Kiln Café for a bite to eat and a drink.

All income St Matthew Housing generates from this event goes back into funding the social objectives of The Malthouse Project. These include providing training and volunteering opportunities to people who have been excluded from mainstream education and training because of an illness, disability or other barriers, to gain a second chance.

One stall-holder, Hilary, from Phoenix Cards, said, "This event is getting more and more established. I like having a stall at this event as it is helping a good cause."

A visitor also commented: "This is a fantastic building. We had not realised the Malthouse was here but when we saw the stalls we thought we'd have a look around and pop into the cafe. We really enjoyed our time at The Malthouse Project and will definitely come back again."

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For further information, please contact Diana Evans, Press Officer, on 020 7563 0028 / diana.evans@ghg.org.uk Visit www.ghg.org.uk

Notes to editors

St Matthew Housing (SMH) is a housing association, part of Genesis Housing Group. SMH provides supported accommodation for single people who are either homeless or unsuitably housed across East Anglia and the East Midlands. SMH also provides resettlement support to enable clients to successfully move on to independent accommodation and floating support to external clients who are in need of housing support. The charity works in a way that enables people to achieve their individual goals, at their own pace and in their own communities.

The Malthouse Project is owned by St Matthew Housing (SMH). SMH provides accommodation for people who are homeless or unsuitably housed. The Malthouse Project officially opened in September 2007 providing a café, heritage centre, community rooms to hire and accommodation for local people with a general housing need. The Project also provides opportunities for residents and services users from SMH and other support agencies to gain work experience and training qualifications in the café. All income generated from The Malthouse Project funds the social objectives of the project.

Genesis Housing Group is a social investment business. It provides homes and services, supporting customers and communities to build futures. Genesis provides homes and services to tens of thousands of people across London and the south east of England. The Group consists of PCHA, Pathmeads, Springboard and St Matthew Housing associations. Genesis also has in its group a charitable foundation, Genesis Community. It is one of the largest and most diverse housing groups in the UK, owning and/or managing more than 38,000 homes. Its overriding aim is to put customers first and provide excellent service to all.