The charity’s ‘We’re Here’ campaign aims to boost awareness of its services at a time of crisis for homelessness
Creatives are being displayed across a range of locations in the capital linked with rough sleeping
Homelessness charity St Mungo’s has launched its ‘We’re Here’ campaign to make more people aware of its specialist services and to garner more public awareness and support.
As the cost-of-living crisis and lack of affordable housing bite, the charity is seeing increasing numbers of people rough sleeping for the first time. In London, where this campaign is running, the latest figures show a 20% increase in people sleeping rough for the first time, up from the previous year. However, there is limited public awareness of St Mungo’s specialist support to end homelessness and rebuild lives.
In response to this, the charity is displaying a range of creative imagery and narrative arcs of people who have faced rough sleeping.
Throughout September, these will be displayed in billboard and bus stop locations across Greater London, from Great Suffolk Street to Waterloo. These are all located at street level, with many positioned in areas where rough sleeping is prevalent.
Crucially, the campaign highlights that St Mungo’s is there for people facing homelessness, helping them to rebuild their lives when it happens.
St Mungo’s campaign has been informed by its staffs’ experiences over the past 18 months, who have been on the frontline of the homelessness crisis. Anecdotally, staff report seeing more and more people sleeping rough, including people in work or who have never been homeless before. The campaign reflects this, with a sense that rough sleeping and homelessness are closer than ever before to many people across the country.
The imagery for the campaign was carefully selected with this in mind, steering clear of stereotypical images of people experiencing homelessness.
Around 1,000 people are expected to be sleeping rough in London on any given night, with physical and mental health, employment support, and immigration, being seen as some of the most intense and frequent needs.
However, the charity knows that what is happening in the capital is only one part of a much broader homelessness crisis in the UK, as it also supports people in Brighton, Bristol, Bournemouth, Leicester, Oxford, and Reading.
St Mungo’s is supporting people day in and day out with its range of specialist services spanning hostels, accommodation, mental and physical health, care and substance use support, learning, training and employment services, as well as specialist support for women, migrants and people who are in the criminal justice system.
Last year, the charity supported approximately 24,000 people, including more 9,000 who were sleeping rough on the streets.
Georgina Day, Assistant Head of Public Engagement says: “St Mungo’s has known for years that its public profile was limiting its ambitions. Now, a combination of the right timing, insight data and partner agencies Red Stone and MediaLab, has made this brand campaign possible. Its focus on the positive action we take to end homelessness, with a simple message which is all about being there for our clients, is really true to us and what we want to be known for.”
Helen James, Head of Projects and Planning at Redstone, says: “St Mungo’s are a constant visible presence on the street – meeting and supporting people every day and every night. Red Stone identified an opportunity to own this on-street presence through the campaign creative.
“The concept of being ‘here’ is central to the brand positioning and provides the perfect platform for the campaign – highlighting both the support St Mungo’s provides, but also helping position St Mungo’s as the homelessness charity out there on the street.”
The campaign is also supported by a range of social and digital advertisements.
For more information on what St Mungo’s does, please visit mungos.org/we-are-here
