Homelessness Sunday 2005
Homelessness Sunday 2005: Homelessness Hurts: Build Homes, Build Lives told the story of thousands of children and young people throughout the UK whose lives are stunted and damaged by homelessness. It is a national scandal that in one of the richest countries in the world more than one million young people have their futures stunted as a result of being forced to live in bad housing.
As Christians we believe in the sanctity of life which means life in all its fullness for everyone young, old or in between. Over 2,000 churches and groups took part in the 12th annual Homelessness Sunday, holding special services, raising money for local projects and running awareness-raising events.
Press
We had successful press coverage in the Baptist Times, Catholic Herald, Catholic Times, Christian Herald, Church of England Newspaper, Church Times, Inside Housing, Methodist Recorder, Property People, The Tablet, The Times, The Universe and a host of local papers nationwide. Campaign Cards
Homelessness Sunday Campaign
Thank you very much to everyone who has sent in a campaign card . around 1,700 have been received so far. The next step is to present our views to the new government once the election is over. We plan to do this in the form of a house of cards . so watch out for more news and the chance to put across your point about the scandal of children and young people whose lives are blighted by homelessness. The next step in the campaign is to present all of your names to the new government in the form of a house of cards. We will be doing that in the summer.
Around the UK
This is a small sample of the different Homelessness Sunday 2005 events that took place around the UK
Aberdeen, The Cyrenians - 700 people descended on the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference centre. Sleep outers arrived prepared for a night in the bitter cold with cardboard boxes, jumpers, hats, gloves, sleeping bags and set up their beds for one night away from the warmth and the security of their own homes. Further infromation...
Arbroath, St Andrews - Donated a book to Arbroath Library titled No Room about Homelessness in Scotland. Funds from the sale of the book will go to befriending projects for homeless people. Also collected utensils for Starter Packs.
Ashington, Homeless Action Programme - Raising awareness at the ASDA store in Ashington, Northumberland.
Bedford, St Andrews Church - Speaker from the Prebend Day Centre also organised a Shoe Shine, Raffle & Bake and Cardboard Shelters.
Bethany Christian Trust - Organised a campaign to raise awareness of homelessness, representatives gave talks to a variety of churches from different denominations. In and around Edinburgh, Falkirk, Livingston and Fife. Further information...
Boston Centrepoint Outreach - Successful press coverage with Calendar TV broadcast throughout the East Midlands, an interview with BBC Radio Lincolnshire. They also held a street campaign in the town centre. Further information...
Boston Centrepoint Outreach prepare to go out collecting
Bournemouth Churches Housing Association held a week of activities in Bournemouth. Further information...
Dunblane, St Mary.s - Held a Service and Lunch with the proceeds going to the Tsunami appeal and Sterling Start up Project.
Foyer@Croydon - Young people's homeless hostel run by the christian charity Oasis Trust decided to send their message to Croydon North MP Malcolm Wicks as part of the national Homelessness Sunday campaign.
Heol Pennar, Caera - St Timothy.s. Church - Service to celebrate Homelessness Sunday.
Invergordon, St Ninian.s Church Service - Speaker from the Calman Trust. Held a fundraising lunch and collection of starter pack items.
Inverness, St Stephen's Old High - Service and a children's drama and a collection of essential starter pack items.
Kidlington Baptist Church - Service with children readings and prayers. A sketch from the older children using puppets to get across some meaningful points about the facts and figures of homelessness and the impact on children. Gifts of food have been passed to the homeless shelter The Porch in Oxford.
Drama at Kidlington Baptist Church
London, Southwark Cathedral (Anglican) - Organised a humble Homelessness Sunday lunch after communion. Thirty people who joined in dined on the Dellow Day Centre's basic menu of bread, butter and cheese with a glass of water. The money raised from ticket sales was donated to the Charity. However, four lucky people were chosen at random and given a lunch of meat, potatoes and vegetables with a complimentary glass of wine.
Mole Valley Housing Justice - Held an exhibition at the Christina Centre for The Pitstop & Leatherhead Night Hostel.
Medway, mhs homes - Twelfth bi-annual sleep out at Fort Pitt House attracted a tremendous amount of support from local businesses, the media and the general public. Working with local churches to raise funds for the homeless charity Caring in the Community and the mhs homes chosen charity for 2005 Macmilla Nurses. 88 sleepers took part including the Chairman of Gillingham Football Club together with a couple of the players. They were joined by the Mayor of Medway.
Canon Ernie Mann & Peter Connell at MHS Homes sleep out
Newton Stewart, St Stephen.s Old High - Service with a children's drama. Collection of essential starter pack items.
Peterborough Cathedral - The Cathedral team helped to organise the Peterborough Soup Kitchen and support Homelessness Sunday.
Pontypridd, St David.s Uniting Church - Pontypridd Christians Together held a service for Homelessness Sunday, led by the PCT Homelessness Group. As well as picking up this year's theme, the service gave thanks for four years of action and campaigning by Christians and others in Pontypridd, which led to the opening of a new publicly-funded Direct Access Hostel during 2004.
South Holland District Nightstop - Speakers attended Spalding Swan Street Baptist and St Norbert's churches with an appeal for sleeping bags and blankets to help with families and idividual's in the local area. Further information...
Telford, Salvation Army, Oakengates Car Park - Held a 12 hour bed-hop. The event raised money towards the new Adult Homelessness Charity KIP being set up in Telford and Wrekin.
Local MPs David Wright and Peter Bradley, Jim Hicks Mayor of Telford & Wrekin, Ian Dixon Salvation Army Divisional Director of Social Services, Ginny Hickman Telford & Wrekin Council Homelessness Implementation Officer, Lord Bruce Grocott and Alan Olver (in the Bed) Lead Officer for KIP at the launch of the 12 hour bed-hop
Thurstonland - St Thomas Parish Church - Held a special service with refreshments and a raffle.
West Kent, The Bridge Trust - Held services with speakers in five churches with another 15 other churches holding services, displays and collections.
Wantage, Grove and Villages Churches Housing Justice Group - Asked churches to join in the FAB collection Fleeces, Alarm clocks and Books for the newly built Oxford Night Shelter.
Waterloo, St John's Church and St Peter's Church, Walworth - A walk to celebrate the life and work of Octavia Hill started from St Peter's Church, Walworth and go through the Octavia Hill Estates to St John's Church, Waterloo on Sunday 28 January, beginning at 2.30 pm. It will end with tea at St John's at 4 pm and a service of thanksgiving and commitment at 4.30pm. Octavia Hill played a major part in the creation of new housing on Ecclesiastical (later Church) Commissioners' lands in Waterloo and Walworth between 1900 and 1906. The Rev Richard Truss, Vicar of St John's, Waterloo, says: "Octavia Hill did an amazing amount of work in providing decent housing in this part of London. This is the first time we have done a walk for Homelessness Sunday, and we hope to get a big turn-out of people from the churches and any others who would like to join in any part of the programme."
Please do let us hear how you celebrated Homelessness Sunday. Send your stories and photographs if you wish them to be included to Homelessness Sunday Partnership
Breakdown of Homelessness Sunday resources bought by denomination
Denomination %
Catholic 24
Church of England 21
Methodist 12
United Reformed Church 6
Church of Scotland 5
Salvation Army 5
Quaker 1
Other 22
NO ROOM
Scottish Churches Housing Action Launched a book of photographs of homelessness in Scotland entitled No Room. Churches Housing Chief Executive, Alastair Cameron, wrote the text of the book. This book sums up our 10 years of work encouraging and supporting local action by church people to help homeless people, he says. ìIt demonstrates that homelessness is about more than people sleeping on the streets in cardboard boxes. It shows positive as well as challenging images of what it means to be homeless in Scotland today - and it contains a clear message that we can all do something about it. For more information or to order a copy contact Valerie Livingstone on 0131 477 4500 or email: valscotchho@ednet.co.uk
Thank you … to all the churches who took part, all the individuals and especially to our Sponsors, Donors and Supporters:- Baptist Union of Great Britain - Bournemouth Churches Housing Association - Church Army - The Church of Scotland Social Work - Ealing Soup Kitchen - Empty Homes Agency - Evangelical Alliance - FISSH Care of the Bishop of Guildford.s Foundation - Horizon Housing Group - Joseph Rowntree Foundation - London Church Leaders, London Churches Group for SocialAction - The Methodist Church - mhs homes group - Nightop UK - Quaker Housing Trust - St Mungo.s - The Salvation Army - South London Family Housing Association Ltd - Southwark & London Diocesan Housing Association - The United Reformed Church - YMCA