Supporting people facing homelessness
Homelessness destroys safety, wellbeing, confidence and trust.
We believe that being fully welcomed into relationships with others can significantly reduce this risk. That’s why personal care and community are at the heart of everything we do.
We equip local partners, churches and volunteers to help people facing homelessness develop the skills needed to live independently – now and in the future.
Church Urban Fund works with local partners across England to provide personal support to people facing homelessness. Our support initiatives provide one-to-one care and skills training for people that need to recover and live independently. Some partners also support safe spaces and urgent needs like food, clothing and hygiene items.
Wayfinder
A volunteer-led programme supporting people affected by homelessness by building long-term relationships and connection.
Positive Pathways
Positive Pathways is an outreach programme giving people experiencing homelessness personalised support and guidance.
Places of Welcome
A growing network of local community groups providing their neighbourhoods with places where all people feel safe to belong, connect and contribute.
Viktor struggled with homelessness at a young age. During the worst times, he suffered intense loneliness and depression.“I was going through a lot and it came to a point where I lived on the streets. I was just surviving, not enjoying life.
“On the one hand, you are lonely and struggling with things like depression. And on the other hand, you’ve got no food, no resources…You start thinking no one can help you and it makes it very hard, mentally, to survive.”
Acting against homelessness together
For people in critical need, like those experiencing homelessness, self-esteem and confidence can be so low that reaching out becomes almost impossible. That’s why local churches and volunteers are so important. They provide practical, spiritual and emotional support and a safe space, often when there is nowhere left to turn.
Martyna is a volunteer with one of our local partners in Sheffield."We've got to have somewhere people can go, where services can be provided, and they can be accepted. People always tell me they appreciate the fact that they can come to this space where they feel safe and talk to us. It gives them a stable environment, continuity of support, a daily routine where they can spend time with others and have their needs met."
We invest in equipping local partners to provide services like safe spaces, foodbanks, mental health support, peer support groups, skills training and housing support.
More from our local Together Network partners
