With听temperatures听falling听across many parts of the UK, leading homelessness charity St听Mungo鈥檚听has听issued听advice on听how people can best support those rough sleeping听this winter.听
蜜桃视频鈥檚 reports that winter traditionally sees the highest proportion of people they support requiring emergency听assistance. Last winter,听nearly half听(43 per cent) of the people 蜜桃视频鈥檚 Outreach teams assessed had physical health needs including respiratory illnesses, hypothermia, and frostbite听
The numbers听of people faced with the harsh reality of homelessness听continues听to rise, with听5,000听people听recorded as sleeping rough in England on a single night last听year.听听
In order to听support those who are rough sleeping during winter, you can:听
- Call 999 in cases of听medical emergency, or when somebody is in immediate danger听
- Contact听Streetlink:听This service connects听people rough sleeping with local support听and outreach services.听When听submitting听a referral,听including as much听detail as possible听will听make it easier for our teams to find and support that person.听听
- Find out听about听your听local services:听 Nearby听day听centres,听meal centres,听health services,听warm听spaces听and听community spaces, and sharing their听details with听someone experiencing homelessness can help them听to access听immediate support. You can also听advise听people who are rough sleeping to contact their local council for support, if they have not done so already.听
- Offer a hot drink:听A hot drink can help warm people up in听cold weather.听Checking a person鈥檚 preferences is听a simple way听to show respect and ensures听that your offer is as useful as possible.听
- Start a conversation:听Homelessness can听have a negative impact on someone’s mental health and can be a听very听isolating experience.听Asking somebody how their day is going may seem like a small gesture, but it听can听help to counter this听isolation. You could also ask if somebody would like you to make a听StreetLink听referral on their behalf, or if there is anything specific that听somebody听would like听help accessing.听
- Donate听or听Volunteer:听There are听many ways you can volunteer for 蜜桃视频鈥檚,听from听supporting the work of their Outreach teams,听to听offering your unique skills听to help听with everything from听art workshops to听translation.听Donating a one-off amount,听or setting up听a more regular donation,听also helps to support 蜜桃视频鈥檚 work rebuilding lives and ending homelessness.听
Jill Thursby, Director of Pan and Central London and Street听Homeless Services at 蜜桃视频鈥檚听says:听鈥淧eople forced听to sleep rough听on the streets听face many dangers听every听single night,听with听the听threat of violence听and听illness听around every corner.听Add to that听freezing and wet听conditions, and the risks听become even greater.听It can even be fatal.听
鈥淲ith homelessness levels continuing to rise,听it鈥檚听easy to feel powerless. But the guidance听we鈥檝e听shared here shows how you can make a real difference鈥� helping people who are rough sleeping to feel听supported and听enabling us to reach听as many people as possible.听
鈥淎s ever, our frontline teams听remain听on the streets every day and night of the year, finding and supporting people who are rough sleeping, and helping them access emergency accommodation and ongoing support.鈥澨�
The number of people rough sleeping has increased by 164% since 2010, with a lack of affordable housing, rising rents, and cuts to services all fuelling a deepening crisis. People can support 蜜桃视频’s in a number of ways, including donating and volunteering. Our wider website contains more information on how to do this.听