Last Christmas researched showed that at least 309,000 people in England spent the festive period without a home, including almost 140,000 children. This is a stark increase of 14%, 38,100 people, in one year. A survey of private renters, last year, found that 51% of them are just one missed 'pay cheque' away from being made homeless. We are in the grips of a housing crisis, with public services struggling to meet demand and more and more people like me and you finding themselves without a roof over their heads.

RESTART empowers homeless people to overcome the personal and systemic barriers they are facing and to reach their self-defined goals. From housing and employment, to mental and physical health, we offer wraparound casework and group programmes aimed at empowering each person to take any steps that are right for them. We believe everyone deserves a safe home.

Services include a weekly drop in at St Columba's Church in Knightsbridge (Fridays 6.30-8.30pm), one to one and group mental health services, weekly sports and fitness programmes, self-advocacy support and one to one casework. Find out more about our programmes here.

Last year we served over 14000 meals, with over 80% of guests returning to the Drop In more than once. We held two winter resource fairs, giving away essential things like sleeping bags, hats, coats, hand warmers, gloves, socks and vital tech items. For those stuck on the streets for whatever reason, we were there week in week out and in moments of crisis to help keep them as safe as possible and to improve their wellbeing even in tough circumstances.

We engaged 136 individuals in casework, and over 70% of those achieved one or more of their self defined goals. When any of our guests are ready to face the systemic as well as personal barriers that are at the root of their homelessness, we are there with an ever expanding team of caseworkers to empower them to move on.

We brought a team of psychotherapists from Mind in house to offer weekly one to one sessions to any guests who wanted to work on their mental health and we are committed to continuing that partnership longterm and offering this vital service.

Our aim is to balance working on concrete outcomes with guests, with facilitating guests to get every kind of support they need to make their positive changes sustainable for them. We don't just work with guests until they make a positive step such as move into housing or gain employment, we work with guests to keep on a positive track with an understanding that maintaining change is just as hard as beginning on a more positive journey.

While everything we offer is of course free for our guests, it costs money to do things like assemble specialist teams, to run every programme that we offer, to hold a stock of vital resources. We run the Sleepout to raise awareness but also as our key fundraising event to ensure we can keep doing what we do.

Every year the staff, volunteers and supporters of Restart Lives spend one night outside, experiencing some of the conditions that rough sleepers face day in and day out. Although there is much that separates the experience of the controlled environment of the Sleepout from that of a person living life on the streets, we hope the event will help everyone who participates to imagine what London's homeless have to contend with.

We will be sleeping on a closed road, with security and barriers in place, toilets available and hot drinks on tap, but we will be thinking of all those less fortunate than us and raising vital funds for RESTART Lives. The Sleepout is an event where we come together. It offers a chance for everyone who feels compassion for those without a place called home to assemble, unite and be part of positive change.

We urge you to take part if you can, donate if you are able, and share our story and this event with anyone who you think may be interested, willing and able to support. Thank you for reading our story, and thanks in advance for supporting this event.