Leading homelessness charity, St Mungo’s is running a campaign ‘Wake up to Homelessness’ to raise awareness of rough sleeping which has been steadily rising for the past 10 years.
The social media event is taking place this Saturday (24 October), which is also Make a Difference Day and will continue throughout the week, so the charity is asking its supporters to come together as a community to ‘make a difference’ by donating money or volunteering for the charity.
Amongst the supporters is stand-up comedian Jessica Fostekew who is best known for her appearances on Live at the Apollo and Harry Hill’s Clubnite, and she will be joining St Mungo’s in its mission to end homelessness and rebuild lives.
She, along with social media influencers will be encouraging their followers to #WakeUpToHomelessness by sharing content on Instagram about homelessness to raise awareness of the issues that rough sleepers face as they wake up in very difference circumstances often cold and hungry.
Reta Robinson, Director of Fundraising, St Mungo’s says: “Wake Up To Homelessness is a very important campaign which we hope will start many conversations about homelessness and rough sleeping.
“It only takes one small act of kindness to make a huge difference to the lives of many, and with the continuing threat of Covid-19 set to make even more people homeless as the country enters its second wave, it is crucial now more than ever that we do something about it.
“So please donate if you can and join Jessica in sharing our content using the hashtag #WakeUpToHomelessness and together, we will make a difference.”
Recent research shows that 77% of people who were seen rough sleeping in London between April and June 2020 were doing so for the first time.
Jessica said: “I am really pleased to be supporting St Mungo’s and this great event. On Saturday morning I will be posting content on Instagram about homelessness and the hashtag, and I would urge everyone else to get involved to help raise awareness, and much needed funds.
“We must remember that not everyone has a friend or family member to call on for help when they’re going through a difficult time which is why the work that St Mungo’s does is so incredibly important.
“Not only do they help people off the streets into safe accommodation, but they also support people long-term to overcome the reasons behind homelessness, whether that be because of alcohol/drug issues, mental health difficulties, domestic abuse or something else, and I believe this is essential if we really want to end homelessness for good.”
To find out how to donate or get involved, visit https://www.mungos.org/wake-up/.
