“This is the first time I feel like someone has listened to me”
The relationship between bereavement and homelessness The relationship between bereavement and homelessness Catherine and Karita both work with clients who are dealing with death; someone else’s, or their own. It’s often the first time in years clients have been asked what they want. Karita Razzell Everybody deserves a good death, everybody deserves to be treated […]
How gardening helps recovery
How gardening helps recovery from homelessness How gardening helps recovery Clients spend two years in the Putting Down Roots program, tending the garden a few days a week – and the results are astonishing, says Gardener Trainer Rubyjo Narbey. I feel I’ve got the best job at St Mungo’s. I’ve been a Gardener Trainer for […]
Laser’s story
Laser’s story Laser’s story Laser* had to leave her family home after suffering honour-based violence. Like the majority of homeless women in Britain, she avoided rough sleeping at all costs, and resorted to sofa-surfing before she was referred to St Mungo’s. I suffered honour-based violence, and left because I couldn’t deal with it. I don’t […]
The life of a St Mungo’s Outreach worker
The life of a St Mungo’s Outreach worker The life of a St Mungo’s Outreach worker Imagine it’s 6am, and instead of being tucked up in bed you’re on a chilly pavement, crouching by a sleeping bag, calling to the person inside to wake up to see if you can help them. This is the […]
“The cold still haunts me.”
“It’s been 40 years since I slept rough, the cold still haunts me.” “It’s been 40 years since I slept rough, the cold still haunts me.” I worked as a travel money manager at a bank, and was furloughed during covid. I couldn’t sit and get paid to do nothing, so I decided to volunteer […]
18 winters homeless: William’s story
18 winters homeless: William’s story 18 winters homeless: William’s story Every day, our outreach teams are on the streets looking for people sleeping rough. But some people are harder to find than others. To avoid being attacked by other rough sleepers or members of the public, many choose to hide themselves away. This was the […]
What it’s like to be an Outreach worker
Winter Edition 2023 What’s like to be an Outreach worker Sam McCormack has been a St Mungo’s Outreach worker since the start of the pandemic. From waking rough sleepers at 6am to the best text he’s ever received, he takes us through a few of his experiences on the job. I’ve worked for St Mungo’s […]
3 things the Government can do to end rough sleeping
Winter Edition 2023 3 things the Government can do to end rough sleeping What can we learn from our response to the pandemic when it comes to homelessness? The Kerslake Commission has three recommendations. Few will remember the Covid-19 pandemic with any kind of fondness. But it was also a moment in which ambitious solutions […]
Support that can turn lives around
Winter Edition 2023 Support that can turn lives around St Mungo’s offers help in so many ways – such as running 12 Housing First schemes, which offer people experiencing homelessness housing as quickly as possible so they can then deal with other issues (such as addiction, unemployment, or mental health issues) from a secure environment. […]
25 years of helping St Mungo’s clients
Winter Edition 2023 25 years of helping St Mungo’s clients Marking her 25th year with St Mungo’s, few have made more impact on how we support our clients than Samantha Cowie. As Head of Criminal Justice Services, Sam tells us about the work she leads here at St Mungo’s, where housing meets the criminal justice […]
