On 11th October, I will be spending the night again at Meadow Lane in Nottingham in order to raise money and awareness about homelessness.  I often walk through the streets and want to help but not known the best way to do so, giving them money there and then often goes to support the wrong activities, so supporting the CEO sleep out where the funds will be used in the right way.  I know that you get asked lots of times to donate, this isn’t anything spectacular and a feat of epic proportion, just knowing that this will help others could make the difference. 

Homelessness can see around 3,500 people sleeping rough on any one night, and this does not include others who may be in transient accommodation. Many people who are homeless also have mental and physical health needs or substance misuse issues.  If I asked you to think about what is special to you about the roof over your head, and then to think about the impact on your life if that roof was removed, what would you say?  Is the real impact even imaginable? Please help me reach my goal and support this worthy cause and help others to find roofs.

A nationwide rise in homelessness has also impacted Nottingham. There has been an increased demand for places in the city, with a limited supply of temporary hostel beds and a reduced supply of properties for permanent re housing. As a result, the use of bed and breakfast as a means of meeting the city council’s statutory duty to provide accommodation for people presenting as homeless has increased significantly: from virtually zero in 2014/15 to £646,000 in 2016/17 (based on 20,000 household days in B&B). This looks set to rise even further in 2017/18 - potentially to at least £1.6 million based on figures from April to June. The city council is to use a Government grant of £586,000 to reduce its reliance on temporarily housing homeless people in B&B’s and help to improve their long-term prospects. 

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