St Mungo’s longest-serving volunteer, Jennifer Burnham, has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours list. The award recognises her contribution to supporting people experiencing homelessness in accessing the creative arts.
Burnham, 82, continues to volunteer for St Mungo’s and has made an enormous difference to hundreds of people’s lives over the course of almost 30 years of volunteering.
She started volunteering for the homelessness charity in 1998, when she began leading an art and creative writing group in Kings Cross.
The first groups took place at a St Mungo’s care home for men with significant histories of sleeping rough and using mental health services.
The art groups have been credited with completely transforming the service, and Burnham created a brand new space for residents to learn new skills, explore creativity, and develop new ways of expression together.
Alongside art groups, Burnham has also coordinated a number of other creative projects, including a programme of monthly visits to museums, galleries and other places of cultural interest.
She also played a pivotal role in empowering people supported by St Mungo’s to take part in creative initiatives such as the month-long drawing festival The Big Draw.
Burnham has also helped to coordinate client-led projects such as the Without Walls exhibition of art by people affected by homelessness, which took place at The Guardian News and Media Gallery in August 2012.
Together with members of her art groups, Burnham also created a new, independent space for those with lived experience of homelessness to showcase their creative work – the long-running magazine Homeless Diamonds.
Since 2006, the publication has offered a platform for artistic talent, and a voice for those with lived experience of homelessness.
Published three times a year, the publication showcases writing and art by people associated with St Mungo’s – with every person who submits work having at least one piece featured.
Reacting to the news of her BEM, Jennifer Burnham said: “Sharing the voices of the people St Mungo’s supports has been nothing but a pleasure and a privilege.”
Iver Morgan, Head of Client Involvement and VASP (Volunteering, Apprenticeships, and Student Placements) at St Mungo’s said: “I am delighted to see Jen recognised in the New Year’s Honours. Her commitment to improving the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness over the last 28 years has been phenomenal.
Despite her immense contribution to St Mungo’s, Jen is very modest, so I couldn’t be more pleased that she is being recognised more widely, in such a meaningful way, for changing the lives of so many through the creative arts.”
