On Thursday 14th November, I'll be joining some of my manifesto colleagues at Centrepoint's Sleep Out 2024. I'll be giving up my home comforts and bed for a sleeping bag on the floor on a cold wintry night to help ensure every young person is helped with the strong foundations – a job and a home.
Currently, around 136,000 young people face homelessness in the UK each year. That’s a 5% increase compared to previous years, and sadly, its expected that those numbers will to continue to rise.
We know that vulnerable groups are always the worst hit by changes affecting our society and more young people than ever before find themselves vulnerable and without a place to call home.
If you're able to sponsor me to sleep out so that we’re able end youth homelessness regardless of what lies ahead it would be greatly appreciated.
What Your Support Can Do:
£10 provides a young person with a warm meal
£20 funds essential mental health support
£50 supports career and job training
£100+ goes toward safe accommodation and education programs
The link to donate is:
Last night, I swapped the comfort of my bed for a sleeping bag on the cold concrete as part of #centrepoint's Sleep Out event.
CentrePoint is an incredible charity working with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This experience gave me just a tiny glimpse into the harsh realities faced by so many young people in the UK.
What was the hardest part?
The cold. The noise. The feeling of vulnerability. Even knowing I was in a safe and organised environment, it was unsettling. It made me reflect deeply on how different it must feel for young people who face this uncertainty every night.
What struck me the most?
At the event, we learned about the complex factors that lead to homelessness. These can include family breakdowns, leaving care, escaping abuse, or simply being dealt an unfair hand in life. One fact stood out to me: homelessness isn’t just about not having a roof over your head, it’s about losing opportunities for education, employment, and stability. The cycle can feel impossible to break without support.
How can you help?
Homelessness is an issue we can all play a part in addressing. Please consider donating to my fundraising page https://lnkd.in/e-ED9sWd.
Your contribution, no matter how small, can help CentrePoint provide the support young people need to turn their lives around.
Together, we can make a difference.
On Thursday, I swapped the comfort of my bed for a sleeping bag on the cold concrete as part of #centrepoint's Sleep Out event.
CentrePoint is an incredible charity working with young people aged 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This experience gave me just a tiny glimpse into the harsh realities faced by so many young people in the UK.
What was the hardest part?
The cold concrete. The discomfort. The lack of sleep. The noise. The feeling of vulnerability amongst many other things. Even knowing I was in a safe and organised environment, it was unsettling. It made me reflect deeply on how we take what we have for granted and how difficult it is to sleep out in the cold. Although to some it may seem like a choice it is not, people are forced into vulnerable positions which force them into this circumstance. Only a night in the cold, on the concrete truly opened my eyes beyond anything I could imagine.
What struck me the most?
At the event, we learned about the complex factors that lead to homelessness. These can include family breakdowns, leaving care, escaping abuse, or simply being dealt an unfair hand in life. One fact stood out to me: homelessness isn’t just about not having a roof over your head, it’s about losing opportunities for education, employment, and stability. The cycle can feel impossible to break without support.
How can you help?
Homelessness is an issue we can all play a part in addressing. Please consider donating to my fundraising page https://lnkd.in/dbUTzX2m
Your contribution, no matter how small, can help CentrePoint provide the support young people need to turn their lives around and give them a fighting chance!
Together, we can make a difference.#SleepOut#EndYouthHomelessness#CentrePoint
On Thursday last week, I swapped the comfort of my bed for a sleeping bag on the cold concrete as part of Centrepoint Sleep Out event.
CentrePoint is an incredible charity working with young people aged 16-25 who are or at risk of homeless . This experience gave me just a tiny glimpse into the harsh realities faced by so many young people in the UK.
What was the hardest part?
It wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. As a person that wears 3-4 layers inside from October - February, it wasn’t the cold that was hard. And it wasn’t the lack of sleep after the years of parenting two children, I’m used to that. It was the feeling of vulnerability. That despite being in a secure, organised environment cushioned on all sides by work colleagues, I was exposed to the elements, to potential danger. Hyper aware all night, little sleep was had and anxiety rose. Functioning the next day was hard, and that was only after one night out on the streets.
What struck me the most?
The path to homelessness starts much sooner than we think. Society often portrays young people as falling on hard times and leaving the family home. But the path to homelessness starts much sooner than that. When people, young people in particular, don’t have the foundational level of support they need at home or at school, little by little their opportunities to progress in life reduce. The gap widens with each obstacle making it almost impossible for them create a stable, loving and safe life for themselves. Centrepoint exist to help break that cycle, providing guidance and support, not just shelter, to help young people create the lives they deserve.
How can you help?
Homelessness is an issue we can all play a part in addressing. Please consider donating to my fundraising page linked below.
Your contribution, no matter how small, can help CentrePoint provide the support young people need to turn their lives around and give them a fighting chance!
Together, we can make a difference. #SleepOut#EndYouthHomelessness#CentrePoint
Every 4 mins a young person becomes homeless in the UK.
Almost 136,000 young people are homeless or at the risk of homelessness.
Homeless young people face more heart-breaking and complex challenges by early adulthood than most of us will experience in a lifetime. Many have lost hope, especially as the numbers continue to rise.
To raise awareness of such staggering statistics, ManpowerGroup have partnered with Centrepoint, the UK leading youth homeless charity, to support their ambition in ending youth homelessness by 2037. At ManpowerGroup we believe that sustainable employment has the power to change the world, never more so true than when supporting a young person into employment significantly reduces the risk of homelessness. This is why this partnership is so important to us.
In support of raising awareness the UK leadership team will be swapping their beds for sleeping bags this chilly November and taking part in Centrepoint’s Big Sleep Out. Taking part in the Sleep Out helps to build awareness and give comfort to every young person that they matter, and the money raised will help Centrepoint’s vital work in helping each person, wherever they are on their journey towards independence.
£20 could fund a counselling session, ensuring those experiencing a mental health crisis can start receiving the vital specialist support they need.
£120 could fund essential start packs for 50 homeless young people arriving at their hostels, ensuring they have fresh bedding, towels, toiletries, cooking equipment and winter clothing.
£250 could support their education bursary scheme, paying for course fees and essential travel costs, and items needed to access and engage in an education and training course.
We know that one night will not change the world, but we know it will help raise awareness and bring attention to this ever-important topic.
It might not be the most comfortable night sleep, but it will certainly be the most meaningful.
If you have any spare change and would like to donate, please click on the link below 👇 ❤️
https://lnkd.in/e-zYsH85
We have a national blind spot around youth homelessness; Maybe, because its roots are so often found in family breakdown, we'd rather not think about it.
At yesterday's exceptional meeting of National Youth Strategy Advisory Board we looked again at this issue. My reflections were that the people who work in this field are always compellingly passionate and that the situation really has not moved in the years I have been at The Mix Charity.
Finally, we have a significant data issue when we look solely at 136k seeking council housing when at least twice as many young people are living in hidden homelessness, undocumented, not understood and certainly not supported.
Anyway, step one might be a coherent government strategy. Join New Horizon Youth Centre's campaign below.
#youngpeople#homelessness#PlanForThe136khttps://lnkd.in/eqEeqxDV
Tackling homelessness can't be done in isolation. This episode is a testament to that, as we delve into the grassroots efforts of Topeka JUMP (Justice Unity & Ministry Project), supported by 29 faith communities, and their bottom-up approach to societal concerns. We visit with JUMP organizers Sarah Balzer, Jason Maymon, and JUMP Executive Committee member, Nate Marsh, to examine how tensions and challenges are not hurdles but catalysts that, when approached with compassion and understanding, fuel the advocacy for solutions that echo the core tenets of faith and activism.
We round off our discussion by debunking misconceptions about TRM's plans for a low barrier shelter, emphasizing the need for informed collaboration across various sectors to truly address the needs of the homeless. The potential outcomes of the city council meeting, the role of organizations like JUMP, and the significance of a long-term commitment to change are all topics we dissect. Join us as we explore the importance of understanding homelessness beyond stereotypes, and as we extend an open invitation to those keen on making a tangible difference in our community. https://bit.ly/OCOM_Ep223
Yesterday the 100 in 100 initiative was launched in Grand Rapids.
“An effort to house 100 individuals who are experiencing homelessness in 100 days with an intentional focus on chronic homelessness.”
So encouraging to see this private/public partnership. Homelessness is a community-wide problem, and the entire community needs to be part of the solution.
Grand Rapids ChamberCity of Grand RapidsMel Trotter MinistriesDegage MinistriesDeVos Family FoundationDwelling PlaceFrey FoundationHeart of West Michigan United Way
- Let's recognize every person has having inherent dignity and value.
- Let's be proximate to others who are different than us.
- Let's engage others with a posture of humility.
- Let's seek first to understand, then to be understood.
https://lnkd.in/eedUNWJX
🧡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 🧡 When you sign up to give monthly, this offers a significant long-term impact, allowing us to foster a deeper connection to our mission of helping those experiencing homelessness.
Learn about the benefits of becoming a monthly donor, and 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐭𝐡𝐞 #𝐑𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘!
https://bit.ly/4apD4Bp
Life is a tapestry woven from a series of moments and decisions, some conscious and others shaped by circumstances beyond our control. Each choice we make, whether we realize it or not, propels us along a unique path—sometimes leading us to places of joy and fulfillment, while at other times, to seemingly insurmountable challenges.
As a sociologist, I often ponder the social dynamics that contribute to the painful reality of familial disconnection, particularly in the case of individuals who find themselves homeless. What drives a family to forget a loved one who, through a series of unfortunate events, ends up living on the streets? It’s a complex interplay of societal pressures, stigma, and the often-invisible barriers that separate us from those we care about.
Many factors come into play: mental health issues, addiction, economic hardship, and systemic failures can alienate individuals, creating a chasm that feels impossible to bridge. Families might grapple with shame, fear, or a sense of helplessness, leading them to distance themselves rather than offer support. In the end, these moments of decision—whether to reach out or withdraw—can have lasting implications, shaping lives and relationships in profound ways.
Recognizing the humanity in each moment and decision is crucial. It reminds us of our shared responsibility to foster connection and compassion, especially for those on the margins of society.
Thank you to all that dedicated their lifes to make sure no one is forgotten when alive
Associação CAIS 🙏🙏
Social Impact Activist for Homeless People | International Keynote Speaker
While we walked 150km in 5 days to the Olympics in Paris for 150 million homeless people, my son learned about life and death along his journey through the French countryside.
He found a dead hare that still looked alive on the side of the road and his heart was broken. I stopped to console him and let him know that death was a part of life and we must learn how to celebrate life while we are alive as well as death when others pass.
Some homeless people are remembered when they die, but forgotten while they live, and many go unnoticed in life and death. We must do better as a society to celebrate both moments as we strive to end homelessness.
In honor of the hare’s life and all of the homeless people who do not receive the love and respect they deserve in life and death, we symbolically placed a flower over it.
As professionals, we need to learn how to educate our children through nature to make our cities a better place to live in.
#HomelessEntrepreneur#TheGreatWalk
🚨At least 309,000 people are homeless in England, today, including almost 140,000 children! That's a stark increase of 14%, 38,100 people, since last year. ⚠️
So let's take a look further👇
Shelter’s comprehensive analysis of official homelessness figures and responses to Freedom of Information requests reveals 1 in 182 people in England are homeless today. The charity’s research shows homelessness has risen rapidly in just 12 months: over 3,000 people are sleeping rough on any given night (26% increase) and 279,400 are living in temporary accommodation (14% increase) - most of whom are families. There are also 20,000 people in hostels or supported accommodation.
➡️ There is SO much more to be done!
