Homelessness Talk

Earlier this week (19th May), we joined forces with Winchester Rotary UK to talk about homelessness and what a great meeting it turned out to be!

Earlier this week, we joined forces with Winchester Rotary UK to talk about homelessness and what a great meeting it turned out to be! 

Welcoming Sophie Batchelor and Georgia Cook from Porchlight, Kent’s largest charity for homeless and vulnerable people as our guest speakers, along with Michelle Price, Director of Winchester Churches Nightshelter, we were brought up-to-date with their work and how they have managed through the pandemic. 

With many businesses like the hospitality sector struggling through the pandemic and having to make the difficult decision to let some staff go, the need for support has increased significantly. As Sophie kindly tells us, about 25,000 people in Kent are falling behind on their rent and £10,000 of these are at risk of losing their homes when the government’s eviction ban is lifted. These financial strains are putting an even bigger strain on their mental health and in the last year alone, Porchlight’s 24-hour Helpline attracted 33,678 calls. 

Tamara, supported by Porchlight, unfortunately found herself without a job. Although she applied for universal credit, it wasn’t enough to pay the bills and keep her fed. Falling behind on her rent, she ended up sleeping rough. Now living in her own accommodation, thanks to the support she received, she was thankful for all of their help: 

“the staff understand what I am dealing with and it is the first-time people have actually showed an interest in the person behind the homelessness…it made me realise that there are people who see a human being there with the ability and potential…”

Winchester, like Porchlight, are also tackling homelessness. Those suffering from poor mental health, Counsellors and Psychotherapists are on hand to support those that need it. Laptops, phones and tablets have also been gifted to the homeless to keep them connected.

At the end of the meeting we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Canterbury Sunrise, over the past 12 years, have managed to raise a staggering £64,000 to help the homeless. Until homelessness is a thing of the past, we will continue to raise even more money and support those that need us the most.

If you would like to be part of that journey and join Rotary in tackling homelessness, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you. 

To donate or find out more about Porchlight and the work they do, please visit https://www.porchlight.org.uk/

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Earlier this week (19th May), we joined forces with Winchester Rotary UK to talk about homelessness and what a great meeting it turned out to be!

Contact Sinitta Nightingale about this page:

Add your feedback/comments about this page

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