In a previous article “Derventio Housing’s housing benefit ‘cash machine’ now funds 3 Directors on nearly £100k salary each” I highlighted the large salaries paid to the directors of Derventio Housing. An […]
Derventio Housing is not a charity, it is a Community Interest Company (CIC). Its purpose is to generate a surplus which can then be used to support the community it was established […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In previous articles I wrote about the good work of Street Safe Derby, and the Guru Nanak mission who have been relentlessly providing hot and cold food, as well as drinks, toiletries, […]
When the ostentatious glamour of the Lady-boys of Bangkok were in full swing dancing to the Village People, and the scantily clad, over-perfumed, Friday night revellers stumbled between restaurants and bars, with […]
A chance discussion with Jas just outside the Guru Arjen Dev Gurdwara on Stanhope Street introduced me to this recent initiative where they provide hot food for the Derby homeless. Motivated by […]
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