This Months Featured News

Rough Sleepers Project

'Please don't ignore us, we were proper people once'. Spires client


Kim Rackstraw, Spires Rough Sleepers co-ordinator writes 'I heard this said by a young man named Billy who was homeless and sleeping on a piece of cardboard in a shop doorway. He had been an engineer for the army and had fought in 'Desert Storm' back in the 90's'. How different life had been for Billy then and how sad that he now feels that he is not 'a proper person'. It is so easy for people who are homeless to lose their self worth and feel that they are ignored and looked down on by the rest of society.


Our aim at Spires is to help people find hope in the midst of their seemingly hopeless situations. Just by providing free food in the form of breakfast and lunch, clothing via donations - some of which is recycled enabling us to buy new underwear and jeans - and showers with toiletries and drying facilities, a person can begin to feel better about them self. We see individuals who were floundering begin to flourish. Like other homelessness agencies in London we have met a number of people from Eastern European and African countries that have no recourse to public funds. These individuals are entirely reliant on Spires to meet their basic needs. The things that most of us can take for granted every day of our lives, like use of a phone to make appointments, seeing a nurse or GP, being asked what support we might need, mean so much to someone living on the streets.


When trust and confidence has been built through spending time listening and talking, we can work with people on their housing, mental health, debt, and drug or alcohol needs. We have effective systems in place which enable us to move people in the right direction. Agencies including 'START' - a mental health team for the homeless, 'SPOT' and 'Street Rescue' - outreach teams providing access to hostel accommodation, as well as private landlords and housing referral agencies who operate independently, are just a few of the contacts Spires makes use of. Some people who are rough sleeping require beds at detoxification and rehabilitation units as the other issues in their life can be addressed once they have stabilised their use of drugs and/or alcohol.


This is all part of helping people to overcome their difficult and sometimes chaotic lifestyle enabling them to make better choices for themselves. It is not easy work and takes time and patience in building up people's confidence. However, Spires rough sleepers co-ordinator feels it is fantastically rewarding and counts it as a great privilege to be involved with people who allow her in to the centre of their lives.


Total number of individual clients attending Rough Sleepers space during 2006 399 Average number of attendances in Rough Sleepers space each month 217 Average number of individual clients attending Rough Sleepers space each month 68 Total number of referrals to Street Population Outreach Team 19 Total number of referrals to Street Rescue Team 8 Total number of referrals to Two Step (Housing referral agency): 9 Total number of referrals to Private Landlord's accepting people on benefits 32 Total number of referrals to the Lambeth Homeless Persons Unit 13 Total number of referrals to variousother organisations 39 Total number of referrals to otherday centres 12 Total number for whom Spires has found accommodation 101