World Homeless Day is the 10th of October.
It is a great opportunity to talk about homelessness with your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues! For the next week, the Foundation wants to help you start the conversation.
Let's start now! Scroll down...
Facts:
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Anyone can be homeless
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Homelessness is an umbrella term for anyone who does not have their own safe accommodation
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Rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness, but the least prevalent
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More often than not, losing a home is a result of another issue like unemployment or mental health
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Homelessness increases after every recession
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On average, people who are homeless die at 44
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Research points to 24% of the youth homeless population being LGBT.
Language:
Language is important when talking about this issue. You will see that we write 'people who are homeless' instead of 'homeless people' and this is because we want to give people dignity even when in crisis... We encourage people to say this however it's ok to make mistakes and slip up sometimes.
Money or food?
This question gets asked all the time! What should you give
rough sleepers when you see them?
It's a tricky one and down to personal choice, we recommend
doing what is right at the time, however whatever you do we
hope you will say hello to them as a minimum. This helps them
feel acknowledged.
- If you are able to spend money but don't want to give it to
them directly, then kneel down and ask them what they would
like and get this for them.
- If they ask for money then ask what it is for and if possible, try and assist - for example finding the nearest overnight hostel and asking for the price at reception.
It's ok to not help if you can't, just make sure they are treated like you expect to be treated.
We encourage people to take extra care of people on the streets during heatwaves and cold spells - and this includes asking people if they are feeling unwell. Anyone feeling or saying they are ill should be taken to a doctors or hospital and if this is not feasible then 999 should be called.
Support:
Whether you're in the situation or not, it's really handy to look at what support is available and how you access that. The first thing you should research is the Council's phone number and the process anyone who says they're homeless goes through... You never know what person will need help and when. Having this information could mean the difference between crisis and prevention!
Weather:
Cold and hot weather can equally be dangerous for people who are homeless. There's a common misconception that hot weather is great, however it can cause severe health issues.
If someone is sitting out of the shade for 6+ hours a day this could cause heatstroke and dehydration. Left untreated, conditions like these can be fatal and cause people who are homeless to die.
At the Cardon Banfield Foundation, we want to respond to homelessness wherever it occurs in the UK. Through our growing network of Satellite Hubs, we are able to see the latest trends & statistics and use this to inform and improve our work.
As you can see here, education is the foundation to what we do and we want to expand this because it's valuable and useful!
Our goal is to set up an education programme which helps people access the right support. Please consider giving a small donation to help us along!
World Homeless Day
