A NEW campaign to encourage residents to support people sleeping rough has been launched by Wychavon District Council.
As part of the Small Change, Big Difference drive, the council will work with organisations to help prevent people from sleeping rough as well as making long-term changes needed to get them off the streets if they find themselves in that situation.
It will also highlight the work of these organisations and ask people to donate to projects that are working to improve the lives of people sleeping rough.
It will also ask people to use the Street Link service to identify rough sleepers so the council’s outreach team can make contact with them and give them the support needed.
Projects involved in the campaign include the Evesham youth homelessness project run by the charity St Basils in partnership with Wychavon.
The project supports young people aged 16 to 25 at risk of being made homeless and works with them to build independence and skills which will allow them to go on to successfully rent and sustain their own home.
Caring Hands in the Vale supports people who are homeless, and at risk of homelessness, by offering a range of support including food parcels, toiletry packs, bedding, clothing and blankets for free, depending on their circumstances.
They are also developing a new project – The Lighthouse – which will become a drop-in centre. As well as offering everything they already do, this will allow them to provide advice and support sessions including access to IT facilities, a health hub, shower, laundry, lockers for the homeless, haircuts, and provide a ‘care of address’.
Coun Chris Day, executive board member for Housing, Health and Wellbeing, said: “People often ask us how they can help people they see sleeping rough.
“The way people can make the biggest difference is to support projects already doing tremendous work with those on the streets and at risk of homelessness, so they can carry on helping people.”
Money donated will go direct to the charities themselves apart from a small fee taken by the donation platform they use. The council will not receive anything.
Visit www.wychavon.gov.uk/small-change for more information on how to donate.
Visit streetlink.org.uk to report a rough sleeper.
