Leicester Joins The European End Street Homelessness Campaign

Leicester is the latest city to join the European End Street Homelessness Campaign. The campaign seeks to identify people who are street homeless in the local community so that they can be helped off the streets.

Our belief is that that a community must come together to solve homelessness.

We want to know every person experiencing homelessness in our city by name. People who sleep on the streets have an average life expectancy of just 47 years, it is vital that we do everything we can to break the cycle of homelessness.

We are helping to create a community that will end street homelessness.

The campaign will include an overnight street count which will see 80 volunteers taking to the streets to locate and survey people who are sleeping out. De Montfort University are leading the volunteer recruitment and urge staff and students who’d like to get involved to come forward.

As well as the night-time counts, volunteers will visit day centres, hostels and accommodation projects around the city, during a Connections Week scheduled to run from Monday 6th to Friday 10th November, talking to people who have experienced rough sleeping.

The information gathered through the campaign will result in more up to date and accurate figures around the number of people who are street homeless in the city. Once the true scale of the problem is known, we will continue to work with our partners to help these individuals, with an overall ambition of eradicating street homelessness in Leicester.

A range of partners are working together on the project. The Building and Social Housing Foundation, Action Homeless, De Montfort University, DMU Local, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Leicestershire Police, The Y, Inclusion Healthcare, East Midlands Housing Group, and Homeless Link. Leicester City Council are also a partner.

 

Get Involved

Help us to create a community focused on ending street homelessness.

If you’d like to get involved or hear more please get in touch via: [email protected]

Use the Streetlink app to report sightings of rough sleepers in the city. Information will be used on the night of the street count to ensure that as many rough sleepers are identified and supported as possible.

STAY UP TO DATE

Follow End Street Homelessness Leicester on Twitter and Facebook to get all the latest news.

World Mental Health Day #IAMWHOLE

Mental health difficulties are costing young people their education, their employment prospects and without support, are costing them their lives. On World Mental Health Day 2016 the NHS and YMCA responded with #IAMWHOLE.

Mental health difficulties among children and young people are common, and can be both persistent and damaging.

#IAMWHOLE calls on individuals to stand together, united as a movement, against negative stereotypes and language surrounding mental health by challenging others and themselves about the words they use and learn more about the impact these stereotypes and insults can have.

To find out more information about #IAMWHOLE national campaign click here.

READ JOSIE’S STORY

When Josie first came to our Flat 108 project she lacked confidence and was anxious about having to do things on her own, like asking for help in a shop. She’s now interacting a lot more with different people at The Y and her self-belief is growing. Josie’s independent living skills are improving meaning she needs less and less of our help.

“I can’t cook and here they teach you skills so I want to build that up and other skills. I have a massive family; there’s 8 of us. Here I’m getting taught step by step, you get lots of help and at home I just don’t get it. After 6 weeks I have some cooking skills. I’ve started to learn different dishes like pasta. I was so nervous when I came here, I couldn’t speak; I was so shy. It helps you build your confidence up and learn a lot of new skills.”

READ DARREN’S STORY

When Darren lost the job he’d had for 5 years, he lost his property and relapsed into drug use. Darren was sofa surfing for several months after his mum moved abroad and things spiralled out of control from there.  He got a two year suspended sentence for selling drugs and lost his driving licence. When he enrolled onto The Y’s Ambition Project Darren wasn’t able to see his son and was seeking help for depression, he felt very isolated and stuck and didn’t see a future for himself.

 “Ambition helped me get into my own accommodation and get onto the B.I.T.C. course. Naomi my keyworker is always there for me, she encourages me and she is always so positive so I can really open up to her, I can’t thank her enough. I’m clean off drugs. I feel so much better that I don’t even know how to put it into words. I feel more positive about myself and my life and I can see a positive future.”