Comic Relief Visit

We have had a morning of photos as Comic Releif get ready to launch their 2011 appeal.  Simon on the Streets recieved a grant from them to cover the wages of one of our support workers in Leeds.  They have looked at some case studies with some of our ex service users and taken lots [...]

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Sponsored Sleep-Out 2011

This Year’s Sponsored Sleep-Out will take place on the night of September 29th.  The idea is to take on a challenge that is worthy of people sponsoring you, with the added bonus that it is related to what Simon on the Streets does.  Our aim is also to offer an insight into our work and [...]

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Know your Place?

According to a BBC report today: The UK performs poorly in an international league table showing how many disadvantaged pupils succeed “against the odds” at school. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has studied how pupils from poor backgrounds can succeed academically.  It says that “self-confidence” is a key factor in whether such [...]

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Street sleeping

The Leeds Guide have put an article into the magazine about one of our Sponsored Sleep-Out participants from last year.  Have a look it’s a great article:  http://bit.ly/ivDBao If you fancy challenging yourself to spend a night sleeping out in the open air and learning more about our work and the people we support (and [...]

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How do we engage with difficult people?

There are three main strategies that we employ to engage with the group of people we support who have real challenges engaging with support services. They are a regular and committed presence on the streets, to approach people with simple human kindness and a patient / never give up attitude.  Our worker in Bradford, Mat [...]

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Is homelessness getting worse?

According to analysis by Homeless Link: The total number of applications (to councils for housing) has grown for the fifth consecutive quarter – from 21,410 applications in the first quarter of 2010 to 26,400 applications in first quarter of 2011 Some areas have witnessed considerable jumps in applications of over 50% The percentage of applications [...]

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Health cuts will be felt deeply amongst homeless community

This letter was published in the Times and Independent on Tuesday 7th Jun 2011, said: We are deeply concerned that homeless people will be left without a safety net under the Government’s radical reforms to the health service. Homeless people suffer from high rates of poor health, but ensuring that they receive the right care [...]

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The cause of homelessness?

It’s really tough trying to find absolutes in defining causes of homelessness.  But one theme that is hugely common amongst our service users is having challenging childhoods.  There’s a bit of a myth around homelessness – that it ‘could happen to anyone’.  Strictly speaking that is true, but in reality the overwhelming majority are from [...]

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What does Simon on the Streets actually do?

Jon, one of our support workers shares the experiences of a day ‘at the office’ in Huddersfield: As I was walking down to the Mission to meet Tim I bumped in to Julie who I have been doing some short term work with regarding her abusive relationship and domestic violence. She had blood on her [...]

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Running the Chugger Gauntlet

I just walked across Leeds city centre.  I was not approached by one beggar, which I’m sure ‘the city’ is very pleased about.  I was approached by four other individuals, all with the same aim of convincing me to part with my money.  The four people represented 3 different national organisations, one homelessness, one children’s [...]

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