Month: July 2023

    St Mungo’s urges Government to support homeless Londoners as homelessness figures rise by 9%

    New data released today (31 July 2023) by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) shows the total number of people sleeping rough in London between April and June 2023 was 3,272.

    This represents a 9% increase compared with the 2,998 people recorded as sleeping rough in the same period the previous year. 

    The latest CHAIN data revealed, of those people sleeping rough, that: 

    • 1,614 were doing so for the first time, 12% higher than the same period last year 

    • 411 people were considered to be living on the streets. 

    • 1,285 people were seen intermittently sleeping rough, which is 8% higher than the same period last year. 

     

    Emma Haddad, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s, said: 

    “It is desperately sad that the number of people sleeping rough in London continues to rise. The ongoing failure to address the severe housing shortage and affordability crisis is clear. 

    “As rents spiral, more and more London residents are falling into homelessness. We know that less than 2% of rental properties in the capital are affordable for people receiving Housing Benefit. Once again, we are calling on the Government to urgently increase Housing Benefit so that it properly reflects the cost of renting. Without immediate intervention, homelessness in London will simply worsen. 

    “St Mungo’s services across the city continue to work tirelessly with the increasing number of people who need our support to rebuild their lives away from the streets.” 

    Recognising the past when planning for the future

    An advance statement for people who have experienced homelessness  

    Compassion in Dying and St Mungo’s, in partnership with their residents, have developed an Advance Statement for people who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness.  

     

    Why  

    We know that when people are able to consider and record their preferences for treatment and care, and are supported to do so, it can have a positive effect on their end-of-life experience. It also provides peace of mind and reassurance to people in the present, knowing that steps have been taken to ensure their wishes will be respected in the future. 

    For people experiencing homelessness, there is often little support available to plan ahead. As the CQC reported, the needs of homeless people are not well understood or considered by health and care services and where services do exist, they are often fragmented and work in relative isolation. 

    In light of this, Compassion in Dying and St Mungo’s worked in partnership at their registered care homes, to co-develop the advanced statement for people experiencing homelessness. St Mungo’s care homes provide care and support to individuals with a range of complex needs, all of whom have experience of homelessness. The aim was to work with St Mungo’s residents to find out what information they needed to enable them to make a decision about if planning ahead was right for them, and what support they needed to do so.  

     

    A form that resonates and better conversations 

    Through a series of workshops and one-to-one conversations with residents at two St Mungo’s homes, we learnt a lot about how people who have experienced homelessness feel about the notion of choice and making decisions about the future. 

    Some people found thinking about advance care planning hard and others felt it was pointless. Some people did want to plan ahead because they had been affected by the deaths of others, and found doing so gave them confidence in what might happen in the future. People shared deeply personal experiences and insights into what would make an advance statement feel relevant to them.  

    We are publishing the form so that other people who have experienced homelessness can have access to a way to record their wishes that has been designed by people who have walked in similar shoes to them. And so that professionals who might be having such conversations understand how some people who have experienced homelessness perceive advance care planning, and why some might not want to have such conversations.  

     

    Starting a conversation by exploring identity 

    We asked people to bring one thing to a conversation that was important to them and their identity. Suggesting day-to-day items like warm socks if they feel the cold, a favourite record or a book they’ve enjoyed. 

    People spoke passionately about what mattered to them. They discussed music they enjoyed and watching TV: “Things like having access to TV and Wi-Fi can make a big difference to our lives”. They also chatted about the foods and drinks they liked, this was particularly important to many: “I like Strongbow and a large Whiskey.” 

     

    The importance of the past 

    Talking about the important things in their lives now, made many people reflect on their history and experiences. Some shared stories from before they became homeless and the important parts of their identity back then, such as religion, family and socialising. 

    Some talked about their achievements and the people they had met along the way. Times they were proud of were important to share. One person spoke about spending time writing about their past as a way of processing and that looking back was a cathartic way of living in the present: “I write autobiographical stuff, people I have met in my life.” 

    Other people mentioned their addictions, and one talked about how his experience as a homeless person made him realise he likes to help other people.  

     

    Current needs were often more important than thinking about the future 

    When thinking about their health and care wishes for the future, many people instead wanted to talk about their current needs. A common theme was how they struggled to get the care they needed and suffered from ill health with little support: “at the moment some people don’t feel listened to and feel that their needs are not being fulfilled”. 

    This often led on to speaking about the multiple struggles people were contending with, such as financial troubles and benefit support: “people have a lot of different problems to cope with right now”. For some advance care planning was, understandably, low on the list of much more pressing things that needed addressing in their lives: “What’s the point? We need to change the bigger picture”. 

    It’s important to acknowledge that for many people who have experienced homelessness, advance care planning may be challenging and emotive and they may not want to engage in it. This should always be respected. 

     

    The absence of choice 

    The concept of having choice felt alien and therefore difficult for some people to engage with. For most, they said that they are not offered a lot of options in their life, be that where they live, what they eat or how they choose to spend their time. A common response to questions about what matters to them was “I don’t mind”. 

    The sessions also brought out some deeper feelings that people were grappling with, with many reflecting on the independence they once had: “Independence is very important to people, and it can be frustrating to feel you may have lost some control of your life”. Similarly some talked about the lack of agency they continually felt. 

    For some people, being asked about what they would want to happen to them in certain situations in the future therefore felt more like a confrontation of choice, rather than the considered process of planning that was intended.  

    The feeling of absence of choice is not unique to those experiencing homelessness when it comes to health and care services. This has been echoed throughout Compassion in Dying’s work supporting other community groups to plan ahead, and people navigating the healthcare system with long-term or terminal conditions.  

     

    A new Advance Statement  

    Some residents did have preferences for their care in the future or wanted to make sure people caring for them knew what mattered most and therefore wanted to complete an advance statement. We used Compassion in Dying’s template form as a starting point. As expected, it soon became apparent that this form did not meet the needs of most people we spoke to in this project. So we worked with St Mungo’s residents to develop the new form based on what resonated with them. Here’s what they told us: 

    • ‘Family’ can be triggering: We removed the words ‘friends’ or ‘family’ from the entire form, as the majority of people were estranged and therefore found being asked to write about them triggering. 
    • Removing jargon: Some didn’t understand the term ‘healthcare professional’ so we changed this to ‘doctor’, which people did understand. We also renamed the form ‘My health and the future’ because people didn’t understand what Advance Statement meant. 
    • Providing a space to talk about the past: the majority of people wanted space to write about the time in their lives when they had more independence. And to tell the story of who they are in terms of what they’ve done and their achievements. So we added a new section, which is an improvement to our form that we believe many people could benefit from. 
    • Talking about hospitals differently: Most people spoke positively about being in hospital, as it presented a comfort that they don’t always have elsewhere. This is in contrast to the majority of people we support through our information service, who often want to avoid hospital if possible. 
    • More space to talk about food and drink: most people spoke enthusiastically about food and drink and how this brought joy to their lives. This needed to be reflected in the form and so we built greater emphasis into this section adding more space and prompts. 
    • Deprioritising Compassion in Dying’s logo: some people didn’t like to be confronted with the word ‘dying’ from the outset, so we moved our logo to the back page. We also added the St Mungo’s logo to give the residents ownership over the form they were helping to create. 

    Residents felt the new advance statement better reflected their values and interests. We at St Mungo’s are glad that staff and residents in these specialist services were able to contribute to the development of this work. Our Life Changing Care Report published last year, highlighted the growing need for more specialist care placements for people with experiences of homelessness and this form supports our existing staff teams in their aim to help people to live and die with dignity in the place they call home. 

     

    Let us know if it works for the people you support 

    The ‘My Health and the Future’ form is available for anyone to use. We hope it will make recording what matters to you easier for people with experiences of homelessness and want to plan ahead. We also hope that sharing the experiences of the people who took part on this project will enable a better understanding of the complexities of making health decisions for many. 

    If you have reflections on the work or feedback on the form we’d love to hear from you.  

    Thank you to the residents, staff and volunteers at St Mungo’s Hilldrop and Chichester Road homes, who contributed their expertise, experiences, time and enthusiasm to this work. 

     

    St Mungo’s wins another London Homelessness Award

    St Mungo’s Roma Rough Sleeping Team has been announced as a winner of the London Homelessness Awards.

    The London Homelessness Awards (LHA) recognise projects across London which use creativity, imagination and initiative to improve services for people experiencing homelessness.

    The team will receive a share of a £60,000 prize fund, with details to be announced at a ceremony in November.

    The Roma Rough Sleeping Team, funded by the GLA through the Rough Sleeping Initiative, works to:

    • challenge discrimination against people from the Roma community 
    • demonstrate that it is possible to deliver sustainable homelessness interventions that enable people to end their rough sleeping for good  
    • provide tailored, culturally competent casework directly to Roma clients who are rough sleeping in London.

    The team has helped over 200 individuals get the specialist support they need to continue with their recovery. This includes culturally aware drop-in sessions that improve access to immigration advice and healthcare services.

    The service is delivered in partnership with The Passage, who provide immigration advice and bespoke support to Roma clients to enter employment including in work support as they settle into their new job. The Roma Rough Sleeping Team will use the prize money to enhance the support they are able to provide to individuals who are seeking employment.

    Nico Bitu, Service Manager, Roma Rough Sleeping Team says: “It has been a real team effort, and I have a deep respect for each of my team members, in particular for the dedication, determination, and resilience that they have shown in ending rough sleeping for our Roma clients. There are many challenges ahead and lots of hard work to be done, but the recognition that comes with this award will give us energy for the years to come.”

    David Fisher, Executive Director of Client Services, adds: “I am delighted for the Roma Rough Sleeping Team that their amazing work has been recognised by the London Homelessness Awards. It emphasises how important their work is in supporting Roma people to have equal access to services and support. The team also share their knowledge and expertise with London local authorities and have trained hundreds of professionals on culturally competent responses to Roma rough sleeping. Everyone at St Mungo’s is very proud of their work.”

    The team will be awarded its prize alongside three other finalists: Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid Safe Beds Scheme, Enfield Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub and SLAM START Homeless Outreach Services.

    Find out more about the awards and the nominated projects here.

    Keeping best friends together

    Summer Edition 2023

    Keeping best friends together

    A pet can be a lifeline for someone recovering from homelessness. That’s why we’re one of the only charities to offer pet friendly accommodation.

    Having Marnie the poodle really helps Lisa – she keeps her company and gives her motivation. Lisa shares her story:

    “I started sleeping rough after leaving care at 16. I’d been going to the West End in London with an older girl since I was about 13, and it was always exciting. There were all these older adults and I thought they were looking after me.

    “One day, they said “do you want to try some crack?”, so I said yes. I didn’t have a clue what it was, but it was nice, and I carried on doing it.

    “A group of us used to sleep down by Leicester Square. There was an old cinema that had shut down, and we would be in front of the doorway. To be honest, at the time it seemed quite exciting because I’d never experienced any of that before.

    “But as I got older, I realised it wasn’t exciting. It wasn’t exciting having to wake up and get money for drugs every morning.”

    “I'm 38 now, and I’ve stayed in lots of hostels over the years, but this is the best hostel I’ve ever been in. The minute I walked through those doors, it’s like a proper community. You can come down for breakfast, they do wellbeing group, and the Recovery College is just across the street."

    “They do arts and crafts and cookery groups. The managers are so friendly, and the staff will help you any way they can.

    “It’s so nice to have Marnie, my mum’s dog here too. To be able to have a little companion. When I’m on my own I just want to stay in bed. Because I’m not using drugs anymore, I’m on methadone. But when I’ve got Marnie with me, we’ve got a nice little routine. I couldn’t stay in all day with her, it wouldn’t be fair. She’d get bored.

    “In future, I’d like to get my own place, with my own dog. I love staffs. I’m also trying to get into voluntary work – I want to do anything working with dogs. My support worker’s very encouraging, and he’s helping me look into it.”

    Help support more people like Lisa

    Take the Lead

    Do you have a dog that you enjoy walking? Could you walk 26 or 50 miles together in a month?

    If the answer’s yes, then why not take part in our dog walking challenge, Take the Lead this August? And help raise vital funds to end homelessness.

    Choose to walk either 26 or 50 miles in a month with your four legged friend.

    You can take on this paw-some challenge anywhere, in your own time and at your own pace. You could choose to go on short walks every day, or go for longer distances at the weekend – it’s your challenge, so you can decide when and where you clock up the miles.

    Register for free today to receive a St Mungo’s
    T-shirt and mile tracker. Plus, get a funky St Mungo’s dog bandana if you raise over £50.

    As one of the only charities to offer pet friendly accommodation, you’ll be helping to keep more friends like Lisa and Marnie together.

    Find out more

    Championing better care

    Summer Edition 2023

    Championing better care

    Matt Bawden, Regional Head for North Region and Physical Health explains how our two CQC registered care homes support clients, and shares the findings of our recent care review.

    “People who’ve experienced long term homelessness often have multiple physical and mental health needs, and higher levels of drug and alcohol use. All of these things can prove very challenging for a mainstream care home to support.

    “That’s where St Mungo’s registered care homes come in. Our staff are trained in managing challenging behaviour, understanding complex traumas, and working in a psychologically informed way. So rather than evicting people when they show challenging behaviour, we’re able to meet them where they are.

    “For example, many of our clients use alcohol problematically. But rather than banning it, which wouldn’t work, we deliver a harm reduction model – supporting clients to reduce their alcohol in a controlled and sustainable way.

    “This not only helps improve their physical health, but also reduces the risk of conflict with staff or residents.

    “We produce alcohol agreements with clients so they can agree on the amount they will drink when they move into the home. 

    Chichester Road had a beautiful garden

    “It’s about creating a joint effort rather than telling them what to do. And that helps them to be more open to all the other support that we're able to offer."

    “Our clients are often frequent users of primary care services like A&E before they move in, but we often see a reduction in use over time, because they’re getting the support they need. If we excluded them for drinking, they wouldn’t get that support.

    “Another benefit that’s quite hard to measure, but is really important to us, is an increase in dignity. If someone has issues with things like personal care or incontinence, living in a hostel is not ideal. We regularly notice an improvement in people’s appearance and self-confidence when they move into one of our care homes.”

    Our care review

    Image: St Mungo's care home at Hilldrop Road
    Our care home at Hilldrop Road

    Our care homes are a great example of how the right care, delivered in the right place, can transform a person’s quality of life and support them to leave homelessness behind for good. Sadly, there are very few services like this available.

    Last year we decided to carry out a care review, to find out more about the care and support needs of clients across all of St Mungo’s services, and see if there is a need for more specialist care homes.

    Our review found that the main challenges to accessing the right care are:

    A lack of specialist care homes

    Currently, there are simply not enough beds to meet demand.

    Long waits for the Care Act assessment

    When someone needs care, our staff will refer them to the council for a Care Act assessment. But a large proportion of St Mungo’s managers described long delays in waiting for assessments and decisions, and increasingly high assessment thresholds.

    A lack of understanding of complex needs

    Many St Mungo’s services found external care teams to be unresponsive and inflexible when working with people with complex needs, such as clients with experience of drug and alcohol use.

    Life Changing Care

    We are sharing the findings of the review in our report, Life Changing Care: The role, gaps and solutions in providing social care to people experiencing homelessness. It will be shared with policy makers and sector professionals to raise awareness and promote much needed change.

    Read the full report

    Hear from our clients

    Ken

    “I’ve lived here just over a year. I was sleeping rough for a while, and to come into somewhere warm, it’s real cosy.

    “I’ve stayed in some places where you’re really not supported at all, but I feel properly supported here. You get your own room, can have your own independence, but you can also be social. You’ve got a pool table, TV. And we have residents’ meetings where we can bring up any problems. But I don’t have any – I’m really grateful to be here. I would give it 100/100.”

    Lewis

    “I’ve lived here for over 10 years now. I was in a more independent place but then I became ill. It’s good – they help you manage your money, you get a regular haircut and shave, and the food is good. They do a big breakfast sometimes, which I enjoy.”

    Challenging prejudice against Roma people

    Summer Edition 2023

    Challenging prejudice against Roma people

    We believe that nobody should be left to face the streets alone – no matter where they’re from – and our Roma Rough Sleeping Service aims to tackle the unique issues that Roma face. Manager, Nico shares their achievements so far:

    “I joined St Mungo’s as an Outreach Worker in 2020. My colleagues were finding it hard to engage with Roma people who were rough sleeping, because they didn’t have the cultural understanding or speak the language. Roma tend to stick together in groups and that can make them difficult for outreach workers to approach too.

    “Having previously worked with Roma across Europe, and being Roma myself, the skills and experience I was able to share really helped us to break through to this community.

    “Then, in December 2020, we received our first funding to pilot the Roma Rough Sleeping Service. For that year it was just me and one other colleague, so we were very busy.

    “Since then, we have become a permanent service, growing to employ three mediators, one coordinator and a manager.

    “We support clients to access immigration advice – making sure they are referred to the right services, and going with them to appointments so they feel supported. We can also translate for them if necessary."

    “Another big area of our work is health – getting clients registered with a GP and access to health services. We also help people with benefits, employment and housing, and so far we’ve supported 20 people into accommodation, which is a huge achievement.

    “One of our strongest skills is knowing how to navigate between the two systems – the British system of law and services and everything, and the Roma cultural system. That’s why my colleagues are called mediators, because they are in between the two. It’s the first time we have Roma mediators hired in the UK, so St Mungo’s is really breaking through.

    A shocking 87% of Roma rough sleepers have struggled to access homelessness services.

    “Another skill we have in this team is that we are advocates for our clients. We can see where the system doesn’t work, and the barriers that are created because of stereotypes and discrimination, and take action."

    “The team have trained hundreds of practitioners across London on Roma history and culture, and how to work with Roma rough sleepers.

    “I’m very proud of my team because in a very short time, we have succeeded to really touch the lives of our people. Seeing people I met in 2020, who never dreamed to have a house here and are now inside accommodation, is the highest reward we can get in our work.

    “And our work is being recognised by others too. Last year, we were thrilled to receive a letter from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, commending our service.”

    “Your work has had a real impact on improving engagement and trust between Roma people sleeping rough and mainstream services.”

    Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London

    © Greater London Authority

    Frequently asked questions

    Who are Roma?

    There are an estimated 10-12 million Roma currently living in Europe. Historians believe that Roma first arrived here from North West India sometime around the 12th century. Roma have a common language, Rromanës, which has different dialects.

    How are they affected by homelessness?

    Roma have faced a long history of prejudice and organised persecution since arriving in Europe. In some countries, Roma were enslaved until the 19th century. They were targeted by the Nazis during the holocaust, and between the 1970’s and 1990’s, the Czech Republic and Slovakia sterilized Romani women against their will.

    Unfortunately, prejudice is still widespread and today, and 80% of Roma in Europe live below the risk of poverty threshold. This, alongside culture and language barriers, has created a sense of distrust amongst Roma communities, making it harder for them to access mainstream support like housing services.

    What's the difference between Roma and Romanian?

    Roma does not mean Romanian – it is a coincidence that the two words are similar. But Romania has one of the highest populations of Roma in the world, which is why this is a common misconception.

    What’s the difference between Roma, gypsies and travellers?

    Roma are often wrongly called “gypsies”. This name came about because people assumed they were Egyptian, and shortened this to “gypsy”.

    Roma shouldn’t be called “travellers” either. Irish and Scottish Travellers have their own unique identity and culture which is very different to Roma. And whilst Roma travelled from place to place in the past, most of the population is now settled in one place.

    Lettuce in! Comedian Kerry Godliman and ITV visit Putting Down Roots

    The actor, Kerry Godliman, got her hands dirty yesterday when she visited our Putting Down Roots garden in Cedar’s Road, Clapham along with an ITV London crew. 

    Kerry, who is an avid gardener, met with our Horticulture Skills Manager, Matt Woodruff, who gave her a tour of the garden and talked about the aims of our Putting Down Roots project. Matt introduced her to some of the clients who are benefitting from the project including Lily, the ‘compost queen’, who harvested a great selection of fruit and vegetables for Kerry to take away as a memento of the day.

    Kerry spoke to ITV about her love of gardening and how it has helped her wellbeing, whilst Lily explained how Putting Down Roots has helped her to find her focus. The filming was packaged into a news piece, and was featured on ITV News London, across both the 6pm and 10pm news! Great awareness of the amazing work at Putting Down Roots, which you can view here.

    Putting Down Roots is a horticultural therapy and training project, using gardening as a way of helping client’s in their recovery. The programme teaches clients the practical skills needed to grow and maintain a wide selection of plants, including flowers, fruit and vegetables.

    Over the past 21 years, the programme has supported hundreds of people in their recovery from homelessness and supported them to build their confidence, learn new skills and provide a sense of routine.

    Kerry is a loyal supporter of our work and has helped to raise awareness of what we do. She has participated in our Take the Lead fundraising campaign, and last year she visited our award-winning Putting Down Roots garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

     

    Response to Unite the Union ballot rejecting 29 June 2023 offer

    Emma Haddad, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s, said:

    “We are extremely disappointed that Unite the Union’s members have voted to reject the offer we negotiated with Unite at ACAS on 29 June 2023 and proposed jointly with Unite to its members.

    “We understand the pressures that the cost living crisis is placing on some of our colleagues and we went to great lengths to put forward a comprehensive 10-part package. This included a new consolidated pay offer designed to support colleagues and significant improvements to the wider benefit package.

    “Had the offer been accepted, over 90% of colleagues would have received a minimum increase of £2,975 for the current financial year when added to the annual pay award. In percentage terms, this would have meant a pay rise of 7-14%.

    “We have made a series of payments and offers that attempt to support colleagues through this difficult period. All our offers have been additional to the annual pay rise.

    “It is highly regrettable Unite has not accepted the latest offer at a time when the demand for our services is increasing. We need to ensure the charity is sustainable going forward so we can continue to deliver services to some of the most vulnerable people in society.

    “This outcome means negotiations, through ACAS, must continue so we can bring an end to this unprecedented period of strike action.

    “We remain committed to supporting people recovering from, or at risk of, homelessness and continue to do this vital work during our ongoing negotiations with Unite.”

    – Ends –

     

    Notes to Editors

    ACAS is the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service and is an independent public body which receives government funding. It works with employers and employees to improve workplace relationships.

    The 10-part package agreed at ACAS was as follows:

    1. A consolidated St Mungo’s allowance in addition to nationally agreed pay awards, payable alongside and in addition to base salary to everyone on up to and including National Joint Council (NJC) pay point 36 (including locums), effective from 1 April 2023. This will be £1,050 per person (pro rata for part time workers).
    2. An increase in annual leave from 25 days to 28 days as a minimum for everyone in the organisation and for all new joiners, and an increase to 31 days for those with over 5 years’ service (both pro-rata for part time workers). In addition, the removal of the drop in annual leave when moving to a new role. An extra three days’ annual leave represents a notional increase of 1.3%.
    3. The temporary mileage uplift to become permanent.
    4. A review of the wider package of benefits within the next six months, with a commitment to ensure family friendly policies (e.g. maternity and paternity leave, carers’ leave, sickness and compassionate leave) are modern and competitive.
    5. The removal of the probationary period when moving to a new role internally.
    6. To ensure transparency, a commitment to an external review of spot rate pay (pay outside of the NJC scale), and ongoing, regular conversations in the Joint National Committee regarding senior roles and senior pay. A further commitment to consult with the Leadership Team about their pay award in 2023-24. In addition, to consult with the Leadership Team on the pay disparity concerns voiced by Unite members, and on not increasing the size of Leadership Team Plus.
    7. A commitment to establish a well-being fund for teams to access, working with colleagues to define and create it.
    8. A commitment to continue lobbying, with partners, for better funding across the homelessness sector.
    9. A commitment to sharing financial information quarterly with the whole organisation. Unite commit to use this information with the intention of working together to avoid future disputes.
    10. Early payment of the 2023-24 NJC pay award that is still being negotiated, with a view to paying the difference once the final award is agreed, in line with our recognition agreement.

    The proposed pay increase was worth:

    • 4% to 5% for those earning £25,000.
    • 3.5% to 4% for those earning £30,000.
    • when combined with the 2023-24 NJC pay award, which we know will be a minimum of £1,925 per person, the total increase in 2023-24 will be between:
    • 10% and 14.6% for everyone up to pay point 15.
    • 7.4% and 11.1% for everyone on pay points 17 to 30.

    Lord Bob Kerslake: “a dedicated champion of the homelessness sector”

    Following the death of Lord Bob Kerslake, Chair of the Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, our Chief Executive Emma Haddad responds:

     “On behalf of everyone at St Mungo’s, we are deeply saddened to learn of the devastating passing of Lord Bob Kerslake. Bob was a dedicated champion of the homelessness sector, with a deep-rooted commitment to end rough sleeping. For decades, Bob was a hugely influential leader within housing, homelessness and local government and his death will be felt across the many people and organisations he led and inspired.

     “Over the past years, St Mungo’s has worked closely with Bob in his role as Chair of the Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping. Bob’s caring, principled and committed approach was at the heart of the Commission’s work and will continue to inspire its members and the wider sector. 

     “We are deeply touched by Bob’s wish for people to donate to St Mungo’s as part of remembering his life and legacy, in lieu of flowers. Bob’s lasting impact on our organisation will continue to sustain us in our work to end homelessness and rebuild lives. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family, friends and all who had the good fortune to know him.”

    Donations can be made at http://checkout.mungos.org/in-memory

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