
According to Derby City Council’s official Rough Sleeper Count – there were 6 people sleeping on the streets at the end of November 2020 – down from 14 a year earlier. If […]
According to Derby City Council’s official Rough Sleeper Count – there were 6 people sleeping on the streets at the end of November 2020 – down from 14 a year earlier. If […]
The 7 residents at Park View flats in Mackworth are on the verge of eviction. The arrangement, led by the new owners, Henley Investment Management Ltd, need them out, as they are […]
From 1 December 2017, the 7 day a week Night Shelter service for anyone finding themselves on the street over night, starts again. It is run by Derby Churches / Derby City […]
“Sludge, 3 sugars”; “weak tea, half a cup, no sugar”; “coffee, with cold water, quarter sugar” and so was the variety of the breakfast drinks I served during my early morning stint […]
The Islamic month of Ramadan, which started on May 26th this year, is a time for greater acts of generosity from followers of the faith. Project Touchdown was formed 2.5 years ago […]
Homelessness is a complex problem and, for many, it is not simply solved by finding a house. If the underlying causes are not addressed, and active support not provided, then the likelihood […]
The Padley Group is one of the most well-respected charities operating in Derby focussed on supporting the homeless, vulnerable and needy. They operate 365 days a year, offering rooms, food, education and […]
In a previous article I wrote that, homelessness is rarely fully solved by just finding someone a place to live. It may solve the immediate practical issue but it doesn’t address the […]
The City pays £60,000 to an external organisation to ensure that no one sleeps on the streets of Derby. So why do we have Rough Sleepers? Every Council in the UK is […]
“It’s that kind of relationship that really helps people change, and they know we care about them, not that we’re simply doing our job. Some of the social activities are helping people […]
Cold, cold , and cold again. Brain numbed by a disturbed night’s sleep, each 15 minutes punctuated by the chiming of the bells, reminding you that it’s cold. A mind blurred, and […]
All Homeless people need help; the most vulnerable need active, long-term support, to keep them safe, and off the streets. In a previous article, “The Homelessness Paradox; It’s not just a housing […]
Home-lessness is often confused with House-lessness, and the belief that to be homeless means that someone therefore lives on the street. This is part of the paradox. There are very few true […]
Having the safety and security of a house is one of the most basic of needs. Resolving homelessness, whether that is as extreme as sleeping rough on the streets, or the daily […]
For the homeless in Derby there is not much cheer at Christmas, and the biting cold weather of winter, means that staying warm and being fed is the only purpose in life. […]
A regular issue that is often put forward by the anti-migrant/refugee lobby is that of the great numbers of homeless ex-service personnel who are rough sleeping on the streets. Their argument is […]
Recently the Derby City Council published their “Council Plan Performance Measures and Actions 2014/15” which shows how they are doing on their annual objectives. Recently my eye was drawn to one in […]
When you are teetering on the precipice of homelessness, you are vulnerable. You are not there because you are in control of events, organised, and clear about the future – you are […]
I have written before on the great work that Zishan Fazal and the many volunteers of Project Touchdown do for the homeless and rough sleepers of Derby. When I spoke to Zishan […]
Spend a night sleeping where I do, See what I see, Hear what I hear, Feel what I feel, Then maybe you’ll understand, What life is like for me To paraphrase a […]