Entries by Jamie Leeming

Musicians Help The Homeless Of Manchester

Music stars Courteeners, Blossoms and Lisa Stansfield are to play a concert for the homelessness charity. Courteeners’ Liam Fray said rough sleeping in the area was “a crisis all of us need to confront and by joining forces, we can really make a difference”. Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, set up the charity A Bed […]

Mayor Vows To Remove Homeless Tents

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson says his council officers will be removing tents set up by homeless people on the streets of the city. Speaking to the Liverpool ECHO, Mayor Anderson said it is now time for ‘tough love’ when it comes to the use of tents by the homeless in the city. He said it will […]

‘Not Enough Cash To Tackle Homelessness’ Say Councils

More than two-thirds (67%) of local councils feel they lack the funding to meet new duties to tackle homelessness, analysis has found. Urban councils in particular are feeling the strain with 86% suggesting the £72.7m handed down from government to fund extra responsibilities is not enough, according to a survey by the New Local Government […]

‘Cruel And Perverse’ To Fine Manchester Homeless, Say Campaigners

Plans to crack down on ‘aggressive’ begging and other anti-social behaviour in Manchester city centre are potentially ‘unlawful and unreasonable,’ the human rights group Liberty has said. Liberty says Manchester council has shown ‘no evidence’ to justify proposals for its public space protection orders (PSPO), which could see people hit with £100 fines for certain […]

Dramatic Rise In Region’s Homeless Children

New figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveal the number of children left without accommodation has dramatically risen more than twofold in four years – rising from 66 across the Liverpool City Region in 2014 to 156 in 2018. They cover Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens and Halton, and reveal the numbers […]

What Is Driving The Homelessness Crisis?

The government has revealed bereavement, a lack of affordable homes and domestic violence are among the trends driving homelessness and rough sleeping in the UK. The housing ministry and the Department of Work and Pensions have published a new review of academic papers, according to a report in The Big Issue. The study, ‘Homelessness: Causes of […]

Good Samaritan Falls Foul Of The Council

A furious mum is warming up for a legal war against a council after she was told she couldn’t let homeless people shelter in her caravan. Becky Catchpowle had been helping rough sleepers to brave the winter by offering them a space in her vintage caravan free of charge, reports Portsmouth News. But the 35-year-old […]

Homeless Man ‘Will Work For Free’

A homeless man’s note offering to work for free to “make life seem worth living”, was spotted by a teenager who shared his plight on social media and helped him find a job and a home. Anthony Johnson offered services for free, including dog walking, window cleaning, shopping and house work and pleaded for someone […]

Woman, 102, Made Homeless

A 102-year-old woman was made homeless with just hours’ notice, after her care home was forced to shut down. Betty Heath, who was born during the First World War, was among many anxious and confused residents forced to leave the Royal Bay Residential Home in Bognor, West Sussex, at short notice on 15 March. Relatives […]

Stab-Proof Coats To Protect The Homeless

Homeless people are being given stab-proof coats that turn into sleeping bags to help keep them safe, amid a rise in reports of violent attacks on rough sleepers. The homeless charity Crisis says people sleeping on the street are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence and 15 times more likely to have […]