Karl’s Volunteering Story

Karl has been volunteering with StreetLink, a service that helps connect people who are sleeping rough with local services available to them, since October 2021.

Here he shares his motivations to volunteer, his experience with StreetLink and the importance of this vital volunteer-led service.

Street homelessness is a very precarious situation and an increasingly pressing social justice issue. Unfortunately, it has become very common in the UK, to the point of being normalised in many parts of the country.

I decided to volunteer with StreetLink because I wanted to support people who are experiencing street homelessness and I liked that StreetLink had a wide reach, offering support to people across the country.
Every day StreetLink receives many calls and web alerts, and the team (made up of staff and volunteers) help to connect clients to support services so they can get further help to address their housing and welfare situation.

I volunteer once a week for 2 hours, from St Mungo’s head office near Tower Bridge. When I arrive, there is always a staff member there to welcome me and get me settled in – which really helps you to feel a part of the team.

“The most memorable call I have taken was a caller who told me that this was the first time they could remember being spoken to like a human being”

The calls I take can vary from shorter calls where a member of the public wants some information about local services to longer calls where someone is reporting a sleep site – in which case very specific details about the location and person’s appearance are taken to pass on to local outreach teams.
More challenging calls can sadly come from people who are distressed or experiencing a mental health crisis. Sometimes, a person will need a more urgent response than StreetLink can provide, so we would refer them to their local authority via what is known as a safeguarding concern. On other occasions we’ve had to call an ambulance to do a more urgent assessment. These calls are very difficult for the person calling in, so as a volunteer I make sure to stay calm and use the support of staff where needed.
Every call you take with StreetLink is memorable in its own way and every experience of homelessness is important.

“City life can be anonymous but these calls show that people still care about their fellow citizens who are struggling.”

In the middle of winter, and on particularly colder nights, it’s very touching to receive calls from members of the public who have spotted someone that appears at risk.Often people will stop to check the person is ok so we can speak to the person via their phone or passing the person’s number on to us. City life can be anonymous but these calls show that people still care about their fellow citizens who are struggling.

The most memorable call I have taken was a caller who told me that this was the first time they could remember being spoken to like a human being. This was incredibly moving and important – respect and kindness are so basic, but are often lacking. These moments of human connection – supporting people who are struggling and helping them to navigate the system – are so significant for each person who calls.

I would definitely encourage anyone who has the time and motivation to support people sleeping rough to volunteer with StreetLink. As an individual, St Mungo’s mission to end homelessness can feel difficult to achieve (especially when you look at the volume of calls StreetLink are receiving). However, from my experience, the impact of treating people with respect, helping them to navigate a complex system and access help quicker, will help you to feel like you are contributing towards those broader social justice aims and taking a step closer towards making them real.

Want to volunteer? Find our current volunteering opportunities here.

Jeremy and Wendy share their experience of volunteering with First Response

Jeremy and Wendy have been volunteering with First Response, a service that helps the outreach team find people who are sleeping rough quicker, since March 2022.
Here they share their motivations for volunteering and how they have found their first couple of months.

Jeremy’s story:

In my day job, I work with vulnerable adults in supported housing. I’ve heard so many stories from these adults about their experiences rough sleeping in the past, and it is so visible to see all around on the streets of London.

London is supposed to be such an affluent place, yet it has one of the biggest problems with homelessness. I decided that I wanted to be involved in work that is directly aimed at trying to get people experiencing homelessness off the streets and safe, and First Response is that.

“For anyone thinking about volunteering with First Response, I would definitely say give it a try.”

Outreach workers spend so much time and effort in looking for people experiencing homelessness. As a First Responder, I can help filter out who needs the help, which makes the outreach workers role slightly easier. So many people that are experiencing homelessness do not know where or how to get help for their situation or how to access services.

A First Responders role is the first step in that individual receiving help. There are times when I have not found anyone throughout the whole shift and it can be disheartening at times. I always remember that when no one is found it can be a positive, as it means less time is wasted and the Outreach Workers can spend their time going to and finding the individuals that are out and experiencing homelessness that night. So even when I feel like my contribution doesn’t count, I’m reminded that it does.

“My role does make a difference. It may be seen as a small contribution, but if a lot of people contribute small that then grows into something big.”

For anyone thinking about volunteering with First Response, I would definitely say give it a try. The whole team are so helpful, and I was coached through the whole process. If you are an individual that is looking at practical ways to help people experiencing homelessness, I would recommend First Response. My role does make a difference. It may be seen as a small contribution, but if a lot of people contribute small that then grows into something big.

Wendy’s story:

I decided to join First Response as I had set myself a new year’s resolution to do something for my community. Homelessness is a huge problem in London and when I found out that St Mungo’s had open applications and offered training and support for this work, I decided to apply.

On my first shift, I went out with another volunteer who was new. The shift went surprisingly smoothly as the training beforehand had been comprehensive, covering all the questions we might otherwise have had. Unfortunately my first shift, in February, was on the coldest night of the year, but I still enjoyed meeting my shift partner, and all of the St Mungo’s team were really supportive.

“I think that going out as a First Response volunteer has been eye opening and a good way to help end homelessness.”

I have now been out on 4 First Response shifts. On my 3rd shift, I was sent an email letting me know how many people sleeping rough that my partner and I had found were subsequently seen by the Outreach team. It was very motivating to know people were getting support.

As I am relatively new to this work, I don’t think I know enough to comment on what else could be done to end homelessness yet. However, I really hope that the time between them first being reported to St Mungo’s and their access to support services can be as short a time as possible. Of course, it is upsetting to see the poor physical and mental state of some of the people rough sleeping, particularly on cold nights.

I would definitely recommend volunteering with First Response. The training and support provided by St Mungo’s is excellent. On a personal level, I have enjoyed meeting the other volunteers when out on a shift. My shift partners have all been curious about doing further training and becoming part of the Outreach team. I think that going out as a First Response volunteer has been eye opening and a good way to help end homelessness.

Could you Volunteer?

View our current volunteering opportunities here.

Crystal’s Volunteering Story

Crystal has been a Communications Volunteer with the Volunteer Services team since July 2021.

Here she shares how she’s increasing the visibility of our inspiring volunteers as well as discussing some of the exciting events we have lined up for this Volunteers Week!

What inspired you to volunteer?

I’ve been volunteering with St Mungo’s on and off since the start of the pandemic. I started volunteering at the Emergency Hotels when I was on furlough, and loved it! The experience opened my eyes and showed me how caring and committed St Mungo’s are as an organisation, not only to their clients but their volunteers too.

After my time at the Hotels ended, I applied to become a Communications Volunteer to use my experience in the marketing sector to help drive the growth of our online volunteer community. I have always been an advocate for social justice and believe communications can be used to drive this social purpose.

Tell us more about your role?

My daily tasks include writing and scheduling posts for the Volunteer Facebook page, interviewing and writing up case studies for the St Mungo’s blog, and working on the volunteer recruitment campaigns.

I really enjoy hearing volunteer’s stories when I interview them. It’s amazing to chat to people who are just as passionate about the organisation’s mission as I am and to learn about their various roles – everything from gardening to psychotherapy volunteers.

“I have always been an advocate for social justice and believe communications can be used to drive this social purpose.”

I especially love hearing from volunteers who have moved into employment through our Volunteer Development Pathway. Their stories are always so inspiring and really highlight the dedication and support the Volunteers Services team provide.

What’s been your favourite project so far?

I love that I get to connect with so many different people across the organisation but my most recent project has definitely been my favourite so far!

For Volunteers Week, I have helped to organise a Webinar talk with Kerri Douglas, an ex-client of St Mungo’s and author of ‘From Gutter to Glory’. On Tuesday 7th of June, Kerri will be joining us to talk about her experiences of homelessness and the impact volunteer relationships had on her recovery. She is such an inspiring person who is always open to talk about her experiences. I know volunteers and staff will find so much value in her talk

Any hopes for the future?

I would love for the volunteer’s online platforms to grow even more and for all of us to engage with each other more. Meeting like-minded people and talking about each other’s volunteer roles can open so many opportunities and give people a sense of community they might not have had before.

I would also love to do more in-person meet ups with the rest of the volunteers. I’m so looking forward to Volunteers’ Week this year and will be attending our in-person London event as well as Kerri’s webinar, so if you’re a fellow volunteer then please don’t be shy – come and say hello!

Find our current volunteering opportunities here.

Thank you to our Hackney Half runners!

Despite the hot weather, our St Mungo’s runners smashed the Hackney Half Marathon last week running an incredible 13.1 miles and raising over £10,000.

It was amazing to have almost forty runners for St Mungo’s. Thank you, for joining us in our vision that everyone has a place to call home and can fulfil their hopes and ambitions. The money you raised could help to transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

We loved cheering you on every step of the way and hope you enjoyed running too!

After the race we were lucky to catch up with Sian, who ran for St Mungo’s and shared her experience of completing her first half marathon with us:

How did you find the race?

“I loved it. I didn’t realise how much I would enjoy it. It was very difficult but I paced myself and then sprinted towards the end. It was difficult but amazing!”

Why did you run for St Mungo’s?

“I live in Brixton and I see a lot of homelessness around all the time. I just feel it’s a basic human necessity to have a roof over your head and a place to call home. So, I wanted to do my part and raise some money for it, that’s why I chose St Mungo’s.”

Thank you to Sian and to all our runners. We can’t wait again for next year’s race.

Were you inspired? Get in before spaces close! Sign up for next year’s race on Sunday 21 May here.

Designing the Chelsea garden: Darryl’s story

We’re incredibly lucky to be working with Cityscapes Director and Landscape Designer, Darryl Moore on our garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. He explains his vision behind the design, and what goes into creating a garden for the show.

“Cityscapes began working with Putting Down Roots in 2012, when we created a pocket park in London Bridge called Gibbon’s Rent. It was a neglected alleyway which was being used for antisocial behavior, but we worked in partnership with the Architecture Foundation, Team London Bridge and Southwark Council to transform it into something everyone could enjoy. Putting Down Roots got involved in helping with the construction and they continue to maintain it to this day. Since then, we’ve worked together to create and maintain more pocket parks, as well as a number of temporary garden installations.

“It’s been so inspiring to work with Putting Down Roots over the past 10 years. Horticultural therapy is really important for engaging with the world around us, and it’s great to see how that’s transformed people’s lives.

“Now, we’re creating a garden at Chelsea, and we’re so excited! There’s an awful lot to do, but it’s a team effort, and a lot of fun. I like working with plants and materials, and bringing ideas to life. That’s really what it’s about – it’s a creative practice.

“Our garden, The St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots Garden is a public pocket park, much like the ones we’ve created with Putting Down Roots in the past. Public spaces are so good for our health and wellbeing and that’s become particularly apparent during the pandemic. Chelsea normally showcases domestic gardens, but we think it’s really important to show public gardens that are inclusive and available to everyone. We want people to see that they can be designed imaginatively whilst also being sustainable.

“We’re reusing a lot of materials, including some materials from the gardens at last year’s show. The garden demonstrates how they can be transformed into different things and recycled creatively.

“After the show, the garden is going to be relocated to the London Bridge area, so it will be available for everyone to use and enjoy. Things shouldn’t be thrown away, much like people’s lives shouldn’t be written off because of homelessness.”

Find out more about putting Down Roots at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show here.

Building confidence through gardening: Emily’s story

Emily explains how the Putting Down Roots team have been preparing for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and how gardening can help clients to build confidence.

“I’m Emily and I’m a Gardener Trainer for Putting Down Roots. One of the places I work is at our beautiful gardens at Cedars Road in Clapham. We run gardening groups here twice a week, where we have a whole range of exciting horticultural things, including a herb garden, vegetable beds, a fish pond, poly tunnel, greenhouse and a really great compost area. Plus a lovely warm classroom for when it’s chilly.

“The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the main event in the gardening calendar, so it will be a great experience for the whole Putting Down Roots team. Personally, I enjoy learning about the backstory of the different gardens, of why they’ve been designed and planted. I find that quite interesting, sometimes more interesting than the gardens themselves!

“Our clients are very excited, and it’s a brilliant opportunity for them to see a big project through from start to finish. They’ve potted up and planted the actual plants that are being used within the garden, and have also been involved in preparing and planting up the design in situ at Chelsea. After the show, they’ll be helping to move the garden to its final home and destination in London Bridge. It will be a really good learning curve for them.

“Darryl (the garden designer) has chosen an interesting selection of plants; predominantly native and wildlife friendly. It’s wonderful that the garden will be giving back to wildlife after the show, even in a busy urban setting like London Bridge. The trees we’re using are Hawthorn and Sorbus, which produce beautiful blossom, as well as berries – a great source of food for birds.

“Overall, I hope this experience will help to grow our client’s confidence. That’s a lot of what we do really, helping people build their confidence through gardening. Perhaps it will give them inspiration to envisage what they could create in their own spaces – if they’ve got a garden, a balcony, or even just a windowsill inside, there’s so much they can do.”

Find out more about putting Down Roots at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show here.

St Mungo’s Roma Team: Elena’s Story

Here, Nicoleta from our Roma Rough Sleeping team tells the story of one of our clients, Elena and how we supported her.

Elena is one of our clients; we’ve worked with her since November 2019. I met her for the first time on a shift I was doing with my dear colleague, Adrian from SOS Westminster. She used to sleep on the corner, close to Marble Arch in Hyde Park, on the cement. I remember her refusing to go to the doctor although Adrian was so worried about what appeared to be an ear infection.

Later, the same year, she approached me while I was with a group of Roma in the park. She was offered accommodation with Glassdoor as it was the second lockdown, but she refused. She heard my name from other Romani woman I was working with and who had high health needs, too. She had heard good things about me from these other Romani women. I am smiling while writing this down!

My colleague Mania and I spoke in Romany with her all the time, and we found out that her Romany nickname is Cometa, which means Comet.

The definition of Comet is a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a ‘tail’ of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun. This definition embodies the personality of Elena, the power she holds inside and both her warmth and iced attitudes toward her disease, life and us, too.

She was diagnosed with a degenerative disease, and we witnessed too the deterioration of her health, month after month. We became her support network here, outraged by the way the system has treated her sometimes, but sticking with her.

We have learned from her, like in mirror or a movie, what is to be born a woman, Roma in Romania, choices she made, and changes in social status. We have learned the pain of a mother who can’t see her children as she is not fit for travel anymore. But, at the same time, we have been amazed by her immense determination and her trust in us, that she will penetrate the system and will enjoy her rights here.

Her doctor told us that we saved her life when Mania brought her to the hospital for her brain surgery. A surgery she decided to have, which is a sign she trusts us and doctors here even though her family was very reluctant as she was not home with them.

Our Cometa has taught us many lessons, as human beings, as women, and each time I feel down she comes as a light in my thoughts and tells me to hold on.

She is the first Romany woman rough sleeper with pre-settled status that passed the Care Act Assessment, after nine months of going back and forth with Adult Social Services.

She is proof that it is not impossible to work with Roma clients. She is proof that, if we listen to the human stories and break all our prejudices, we may find wonderful, surprising people who will make a strong and lasting impression on our lives.

Creating a home where Autistic people belong

This week is Autism Acceptance Week. According to the National Autistic Society, there are 700,000 adults and children in the UK who are autistic – roughly 1 in 100. As a spectrum condition that affects how people communicate and interact with the world, autistic people are often misunderstood, which can lead to feelings of being silenced or unwelcome. However, autistic people – like everyone – have strengths and talents to be celebrated. And with more acceptance, understanding and support, we can make the world we live in inclusive for everyone.

There is a very strong link between autism and homelessness. Research conducted with a number of charities found that the rate of autism in those experiencing homelessness was around 12%, much higher than the national average. Because of this, members of the St Mungo’s team who are autistic have a unique ability to engage with the people we work with. We heard from Michalina Popiolek, one of our Involvement and Inclusion Coordinators about her experience as an autistic person and how this allows her to communicate with the people we support:

Being Autistic means being and knowing that you are different, and this is the root of the exclusion we experience. Being different is only good when the difference is accepted, celebrated and understood to be a natural, useful and necessary part of society and, most importantly, is accommodated for. In order to create a space of belonging for Autistics we need to create spaces where Autistic experience is recognised and validated; where Autistic expression is the norm and Autistic communication is understood; spaces where Autistics can come and be together.

Similarly, homelessness is more than just not having access to a physical space we can occupy: homelessness is about exclusion. A home is where the roots, identity, sense of psychological safety and feeling of belonging is. Hence when working alongside homeless people, we need to create spaces where they feel that they belong.

Because Autism is so prevalent amongst the homeless population, I discovered that working at St. Mungo’s meant working amongst many Autistic people. I could speak with clients directly, we understood each other’s way of showing empathy, I could focus on processing information rather than ‘appropriate eye contact’ – as the eye contact was not required. We shared the same seriousness and the same sense of humour. I could communicate with many people in a way that felt natural to me and to them and this, in turn, created the sense of togetherness and connection. Spending a good portion of my day with other Autistics gave me a sense of belonging that I have not experienced before.

St Mungo’s is in such a strong position to create a space of belonging for Autistic people. The large proportion of Autistic clients means that many non-Autistic staff at St. Mungo’s have already developed either expertise or professional curiosity concerning Autistic experiences. We already have the Diversity & Inclusion and Client Involvement strategy and Toolkits, all we have to do now is to recognise and enable the power of Autistic connections to lead the way home.

New NICE guidelines: recognising that homelessness is a health problem too

Last week, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published new guidelines on ‘Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness’. In this blog Emma Cookson, our Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer, explains why these guidelines are so important.

Homelessness is not just a housing problem, it is also a health problem. Poor health is both a cause and a consequence of homelessness.

All too frequently we see the devastating result of this, with the average of death for people sleeping rough or living in emergency accommodation just 46 for men and 41 for women. Lives cut horrifyingly young, often from preventable causes which would have been amenable to timely and effective healthcare.

That’s why the publishing of NICE’s new guidelines on ‘Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness’ matter.

First, they show an explicit recognition of the intertwined nature of homelessness and poor health, stating that “homelessness and access to appropriate housing is a public health issue”. This is something which lots of individuals and organisations have been stressing for years — but we need it to become commonly accepted everywhere. These guidelines push that message out to a new audience of mainstream health practitioners, who play a crucial role in supporting people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.

Then second, through these guidelines setting out principles and examples of what ‘good’ looks like, they now mean that people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, as well as those supporting them, have something tangible to point to as to how their care should work. It also means that practitioners can no longer say they don’t know what to do, or it isn’t clear.

That’s why St Mungo’s fed into the development of these guidelines, with people from across the organisation bringing all their various expertise together to send in detailed comments on first the scope of the guidelines, and then the first draft of them last October. We also consulted with the people who know best — those who have lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping and can therefore say what really works.

We were pleased to see that the final guidelines really listened to our submissions, and reflected some of the omissions or concerns we had flagged. The final product is hugely welcome. It sets out clearly and thoroughly the key points we would want to see and provides a helpful template for what health and care services should be providing people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.

Some of the main points:

People who are experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping often require more targeted approaches to ensure that health and social care is available and accessible. Practical barriers like needing to walk across the other side of town, or having lost of clashing appointments with the tangled web of support services available, can make it difficult for people to access structured and rigid appointments. Equally, other factors such as deep-rooted trauma and a resultant lack of trust, or previous distressing experiences of interacting with health services, can make it difficult for people to engage. The recommendation in the guidelines for flexible opening and appointment times and providing ‘one stop shops’ for multiple services is therefore welcome, as well as expressly saying “do not penalise people experiencing homelessness for missing appointments, for example, by discharging people from the service”. This has historically been a huge problem for our clients, as highlighted in the Knocked Back report, and the need for flexible appointments was one of the recommendations in the Kerslake Commission report.
Care should be empathetic, trauma-informed and person-centred. Experience of psychological trauma and adverse childhood events (ACEs) are common in people experiencing homelessness. The guidelines set out practical pointers such as “longer contact times in developing and sustaining trusting relationships”, and “strengths-based approaches to care” (more on that here, but it’s reflected in St Mungo’s Recovery Based Approach which focuses on empowerment), as well as avoiding “unnecessary and potentially distressing repetition of their history if it is already on record”. Person-centred, trauma-informed and psychologically-informed: these should form the base principles for all services – be they housing, health, or welfare.
“Commissioners of health, social care and housing services should work together to plan and fund integrated multidisciplinary health and social care services for people experiencing homelessness, and involve commissioners from other sectors, such as criminal justice and domestic abuse, as needed.” This was a central theme of the Kerslake Commission, which stressed that ending rough sleeping requires an integrated, system-wide approach and highlighted joint commissioning as the primary way to do this: bringing all parts of the system around the table to discuss the desired outcome, and collaborating and sharing responsibility for achieving it. People’s problems are not siloed: they experience them in an overlapping and often mutually enforcing way. Services must reflect this.
“Take health and social care services to people experiencing homelessness by providing multidisciplinary outreach care in non-traditional settings, such as on the street, hostels or day centres.” As with flexible appointment times, taking services to where people are rather than waiting for them to approach traditional place-based services, makes a significant difference in enabling engagement and establishing trusting relationships. Multidisciplinary teams was highlighted in the Kerslake Commission, which flagged the need to embed specialist workers – such as drug and alcohol and mental health workers – in generic outreach teams.
Recognise the value of co-designing and co-delivering services with people with lived experience of homelessness. This is fundamental — not just because it’s the right thing to do — people should be involved in the decisions that affect their lives — but also because it leads to better outcomes through better insights. As these guidelines set out, peers should be integral to all stages of support, from designing how services work, to being peer advocates and helping others navigate services.

These guidelines are a big step forward, and have the chance to be a really helpful tool for improving the health of people experiencing homelessness — both in making mainstream practitioners more aware of what they should be doing to help, but also in giving individuals the ability to point to something and say ‘this is what standard I should be receiving’.

There is some real momentum building in this area, with the Levelling Up White Paper mentioning inclusion health (albeit briefly) and tackling the core drivers of health disparities; the NHS’ new Core20PLUS5 initiative to reduce health inequalities; the publication in December of the Government’s 10 year Drugs Strategy which recognised the role that housing has to play; and the Health and Social Care Bill which is just finishing up in the House of Lords and, although unfortunately the amendments on inclusion health were not brought in (which we supported alongside Crisis), this did lead to a significant amount of attention in parliament and more constructive conversations for the future. There is also the promised upcoming White Paper on Health Disparities which we’re looking to next.

We must all keep working together towards the vision set out in the Kerslake Commission, where all parts of the system — including health — are joined up, and have the individual, whom it is designed to support, at the centre.

Hackney Half Marathon 2022

Run East London’s vibrant streets and use your miles to end homelessness.

This year, St Mungo’s is proud to be a charity partner for the Hackney Half Marathon for the fourth year running. With the race less than three months away, places have been filling up fast to take part in the challenge.

Occurring on 22 May, the event is a fantastic opportunity not only to raise vital funds, but for our clients and supporters to achieve something big.

The route spans some of East London’s best landmarks, cruising down Mare Street though a carnival of sound, past the famous Town Hall, through the historic Broadway Market, then taking in Hackney Wick full of street art.

Part of the Hackney Moves festival, the race is one of the capital’s highlights, bringing fitness together with entertainment, music and culture.

Lydia, who ran the Hackney Half with St Mungo’s in 2019 and is currently in training for this year’s race shares her experience:

“From the moment I crossed the start line, I was swept up in the buzz and excitement. I think I had a massive grin on my face almost the whole way round (though possibly not at mile 11!).

The atmosphere of the Hackney Half is unique, with supporters lining the route offering encouragement, high fives and witty signage.

Running for St Mungo’s made the whole experience more meaningful as I knew I was doing something for others at the same time as having fun and achieving a personal goal.”

Supporting 3,213 people on average each night and with 17 outreach teams helping people of the streets, in choosing to run for us, you are helping to provide a gift of hope for the future.

Money you raise could help transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness at every stage of recovery.

So, whether you’re running on the day or going to soak up the buzz, the Hackney Half is one not to be missed!

Up for the challenge? Join #TeamMungos now. Charity places are filling up fast, so get yours quick! Sign up here.

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Category: Blog