Today is World Homeless Day and this week it was announced that 1611 people died homeless in the last year in the UK. It is a tragic statistic which exposes the raw human cost of homelessness. A reality that shames our society. Crisis Behind every statistic is a story of a son, daughter, brother, sister,… Continue reading Facing the tragic cost of homelessness
Category: Homelessness
The kind of leadership needed to end homelessness
Photo by Timur Weber on Pexels.com Yesterday, the Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali resigned after media reports emerged that she evicted tenants from a property she owned and then sought to re-let the property with rents increased by £700 a month. She stood accused of profiteering off the backs of tenants - the very thing… Continue reading The kind of leadership needed to end homelessness
The path less travelled (& what we can learn from younger people)
Ethan Malcolm is a 22 year old student who decided earlier this year to take up the challenge to walk the entire length of the country, from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He doing it to raise funds for Hope into Action and is aiming to cover the 12oo miles in 60 days. Hope into… Continue reading The path less travelled (& what we can learn from younger people)
The best reason for keeping Christian distinctiveness
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com I bet everyone reading this knows a charity or community project which was started by the church, but which over time lost its connection with the faith which birthed it. When you dig into the history of so many charities, whether related to children, youth work, older people,… Continue reading The best reason for keeping Christian distinctiveness
Fatherlessness & homelessness – by Mark Wood
giselaatje from pixabay It feels like suddenly, everyone is talking about boys and the malign influences they are under. The success of the Netflix drama Adolescence has given the issue global profile and Gareth Southgate’s excellent Dimbleby lecture added to this. The recent Lost Boys report by the Centre for Social Justice highlights the disparity… Continue reading Fatherlessness & homelessness – by Mark Wood
Restorers of Hope: conference March 12th
The UK faces a homelessness and poverty crisis, made up of many different problems: Resources: the lack of affordable housing, debt, rising cost of living. Relationships: abuse, mistrust, family breakdown, loneliness, isolation. Identity: meaninglessness, low self-esteem, mental ill-health, addictions. We need a hope strong enough to respond to all three of these challenges. Hope into Action works with churches… Continue reading Restorers of Hope: conference March 12th
Bringing burdens to the foot of the cross
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com On a freezing night this week, we opened up our church for our first community meal of the New Year. It was a quieter night than usual, but sometimes less can be more. Our aim to provide ‘food, connection and community’ and whilst fewer guests means less food is… Continue reading Bringing burdens to the foot of the cross
“If you charge me, I’m going to bring 50 homeless people here to eat the meal I have paid for”
A few Christmases ago, when I was running a homeless charity in the West End of London, we took a phone call from a businessman that I will never forget. He was due to host a major Christmas event for 50 colleagues and clients in a prestigious local member’s club. A number of guests were… Continue reading “If you charge me, I’m going to bring 50 homeless people here to eat the meal I have paid for”
‘The church has been the cornerstone of my recovery’: homelessness ends in community
Prichard is a young man whose life was almost destroyed by drug addiction. It led him into a chaotic lifestyle which spiraled downwards and led him into homelessness. As he bluntly puts it ‘My life was a shambles.’ It’s a story I have seen so many times in so many people trapped in addictions and… Continue reading ‘The church has been the cornerstone of my recovery’: homelessness ends in community
Prince William & ‘ending homelessness’
Watch: Prince William: We Can End Homelessness (ITV) Last week, ITV broadcasted two hour-long programmes Prince William: We Can End Homelessness in which the future King outlined the ambition of his initiative Homewards. The programme included plenty of footage of the Prince talking about why he cares about homelessness and the influence of his mother… Continue reading Prince William & ‘ending homelessness’
Grace + Truth 