Support Spires to end homelessness in south London

Rough sleeping in London has hit a record high! A total of 11,993 people were seen rough sleeping in the capital in the year to March, according to the latest Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain). Lambeth, where we are based, currently has the fourth highest number of rough sleepers in any London borough. 

About Spires - Spires is a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in south London; many of whom are dealing with complex issues such as alcohol & drug dependence or misuse, unemployment, insecure accommodation or physical & mental health related issues, that has resulted or might result in their homelessness. We do this through providing advice + support on housing, benefits & any health issues, all to ensure more people are off the streets and have a place to call home. 

In response to the rising numbers of people experiencing homelessness in London, Spires is expanding our services into new locations, making our services more accessible and in doing so helping more people in need. We now operate across multiple sites in Lambeth and have established a new service in Croydon helping newly granted refugees who are homeless.

2023 achievements - During 2023, we went from supporting 90 per month to 160 and we anticipate this continuing in 2024. The below numbers from 2023 highlights the work we do and results we achieved: 

This year we have so far supported 449 homeless & disadvantaged people through our services.

Case Study - Paddy attended Spires drop-in at West Norwood looking for help with his homelessness. He is a 71-year-old Jamaican national who had been sleeping in a friend’s garden shed since receiving his indefinite leave to remain. He had been living and working in the UK for 20 years until his health drastically deteriorated meaning he was left with having no benefits or accommodation. We completed a prevention from homelessness application and applied for Pension Credit, Housing benefits and for a freedom pass. A housing assessment was completed placing him in temporary accommodation while we continue to monitor his health issues by attending all health appointments with him. We remain in regular contact with Paddy as we support him to maintain his current and future tenancies.

How will your donation help? - Spires is a small organisation with limited resources. Every donation will support our ongoing transformation, which includes the enhancement of our current services and also opens the door to developing new services to reach and support more people in need. We plan to expand our services further, either within our current or in neighbouring boroughs, to support more people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in local areas. More funding would allow us to do just that.

The more donations and support we receive, the more people we can get off the streets in south London!