Homelessness in the UK
Homelessness is, sadly, a massive issue right across the UK.
Startling statistics from Shelter estimated in 2023 that at least 309,000 people were homeless in England.
The charity said homelessness rises by 14% in a year as the housing emergency escalates.
Included in those numbers were 140,000 children, who faced not having a home for Christmas. This was a stark increase of 14%, 38,100 people, in one year.
These statistics come as the housing emergency continues and the cost of living crisis continues to hit families and individuals hard.
Your help and donations can really make a difference to help charities like Shelter support people.
How to help the homeless in the UK?
There are several ways you can help the homeless in the UK.
From donating to raising money yourself – there’s lots of ways you can get stuck in to help.
Homeless people need support and help all year round, but services can need that extra support in winter.
Donate to a homeless charity
There are several charities across the UK that work to support homeless people and rough sleepers.
Some are local and look after the immediate needs of the community on a smaller scale. This can mean going out each night with hot food and warm clothing and can also extend to more localised services like night watches.
Other larger charities – like Shelter and Centrepoint – work on more of a national scale and also campaign for legislative change.
Some larger charities also support people who may not be rough sleeping and may be in temporary housing or poor quality housing.
When picking which charity you want to donate to, there are a few things to consider.
Take a look into what each charity does specifically – do you want one that’s local to you?
Different charities also offer different services – which is also important to consider. Some charities specialise in donating food and clothes. Others work to offer counselling services to people or provide advice.
You can support charities in different ways too – either through financial donations or donating clothes.
Financial donations
Financial donations can be made by donating what you can afford to either big, national charities or smaller, local ones.
If you want to find out what local services are available to you, you can use the Homeless England database.
Some of the large charities in the UK to consider are:
- Crisis – Crisis is the UK national charity for people experiencing homelessness. The charity offers year-round education, employment, housing and well-being services from centres in East London, Newcastle, Oxford, Edinburgh, South Wales, Croydon, Brent and Merseyside, called Crisis Skylight Centres
- Shelter – Shelter is a registered charity that campaigns for housing justice in England and Scotland. It gives advice, information and advocacy to people and campaigns and lobbies government and local authorities for new laws and policies.
- Centrepoint – Centrepoint is a charity in the United Kingdom which provides accommodation and support to homeless people aged 16–25.
- St Mungo’s – The St Mungo Community Housing Association, working as St Mungo’s, is a charity registered in England to help homeless people
Food or clothing donations
You can also donate food and shoes to support homeless people in the UK.
This can be done by going into local charity shops, like Oxfam, Scope or Crisis stores.
Sales from donations go a long way in supporting people and helping to raise valuable money for charities.
You can also donate to food and clothing banks. There may be a food bank very near you that you could donate to. Foodbanks look for things like tinned food, pasta, rice and other dry ingredients.
Volunteer
Another way you can lend your support is to physically volunteer in person.
The benefits of volunteering are long-reaching.
Volunteering for a charity can have many benefits, including:
- Sense of accomplishment: You can feel better about yourself and more likely to pursue challenges when you do something you feel is valuable.
- Improved community connection: You can feel more connected to the people around you and be inspired to engage with other aspects of your community.
- New skills and experience: You can gain valuable experience and build skills that can help you get paid jobs in a career you’re interested in.
- Improved mental and physical health: Volunteering can help counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety.
- Making new friends: You can make new friends and improve your confidence.
- Giving something back: You can get a chance to give back to your community
There are several charities that welcome volunteers, including:
- Shelter
- St Mungo’s
- Simply Volunteer London, which has a website with volunteering roles
- Reach Volunteering, a national organization that places skilled volunteers into placements
- The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) website
- Crisis
- The People’s Kitchen
Contact local services
It may also be worth contacting local services and organisations to see how you can help nearby.
Contacting local services is a great way of supporting the homeless as you can see the difference you make on the ground near to you.
These services may include a local homeless shelter, your local council or an organisation like StreetLink, who will connect the individual with local services that can provide support and accommodation.
Join a campaign
A great way of supporting the homeless is by joining a campaign.
You can campaign with Shelter by writing to your MP, signing petitions and open letters, or becoming a Housing Emergency Response Operative (HERO). Your voice is powerful.
You can also do this with Crisis. You can appeal to local government services, tell your story or add your name to petitions.
Stop for a chat
Simply stopping for a chat and having a conversation can make the world of difference too.
Taking the time to hear about someone’s circumstances and current situation can go a long way in understanding the practical ways you can help.
You may get to learn more about what things are needed to support someone – this could include buying hot food or a hot drink.
You may also be able to local services near to them that you know about too.
Start a fundraiser
Finally, you can start a fundraiser.
Crowdfunding on GoFundMe is a great, quick and accessible way to raise money for the charities you’re passionate about.
You can fundraise directly for the charities we’ve talked about. This means Shelter,Crisis or even one nearer to you that you care about.
When creating your fundraiser, you need to tell the story about why you’re fundraising. A personal, honest approach is beneficial when doing this. If you’ve encountered homeless people or know of someone who has benefitted from support, mention them.
You should aim to include.
- Information about your fundraiser and how donations will be used
- Why the cause is close to your heart
- What impact the funds you raise will have
- Why you have chosen your specific charity to raise money for
- A photo
- A video if possible
- A target amount of money you want to raise
It is safe and easy if you pick a reputable, trustworthy crowdfunding platform. GoFundMe also has lots of fundraising tips to support you.
Raise money for the homeless with GoFundMe
GoFundMe is the ideal fundraising platform for people wanting to raise money for the homeless.
It’s safe, accessible and easy to use. GoFundMe will be with you every step of the way to tell you how it works.
You can fundraise for charities, causes you’re passionate about or even a local service