| As we enter the 21st Century
we look around us and are struck by the numbers of rough sleepers still
on our streets. People from every age group and social background find
themselves homeless. The reasons are many and varied: family breakdown,
sexual abuse, mental health, drugs, alcohol, inability to cope after leaving
the armed forces or long stay institutions and many, many more.
Wish, with your help and support, will continue to work to alleviate
the plight of rough sleepers. During the coming year we will be increasing
the frequency of our outreach and developing the range of services it provides.
Research is being undertaken to determine the feasibility of an all-night
cafe for those who have been unable to find a hostel place.
WISH has been invited by Cricklewood Homeless Concern to explore the
possibility of providing a Sunday breakfast service in their day centre.
We will be evaluating this.
Despite the disappointment of last Christmas WISH is committed to the
annual ROOF, developing and enhancing the service each year. None of this
will be possible without your continued involvment both directly and with
fund raising. However great or small your help, it will make a real difference
to the lives of West London's rough sleepers.
Peter Vaughan
Chair of Trustees
|
Saturday 19th February 2000 - Relaunch
of the outreach service
Sunday 17th September 2000 - Riverside Ramble
Tuesday 12th December 2000 - ROOF Volunteers Meeting
DATES OF THE CHRISTMAS ROOF
Saturday 23rd December 1999 - Tuesday 2nd January 2001
|
| In the early autumn a small group started
the first of the outreach services. This brings to the rough sleepers of
West London hot food and a choice of clothing every second weekend throughout
the year. This will increase to weekly as the service becomes more widely
known and the demand increases.
Each evening four volunteers follow a prescribed route stopping at regular,
pre-arranged places where they are greeted, serve food and take clothing
orders. These orders are, as nearly as possible, fulfilled by other volunteers
at the Outreach base during Sunday for collection and distribution that
evening.
On February 19th the service will re-start after a Christmas break,
now equipped with a van bearing the distinctive WISH logo. It will become
a familiar sight as we serve West London's rough sleepers.
For the Outreach to continue WISH relies on the help and support of
Jesus House who generously provide, at no cost, the base from which we
work, and Humana who make good any shortfall in clothing. However none
of this would be enough without your help. If you feel you can occasionally
spare your weekend evenings, and would like to help, please contact the
WISH office. You will work with experienced volunteers who guide you through
your first few "runs". |
| This government in communion with
the voluntary sector is committed to "eradicating" two thirds of rough
sleeping by 2002. This is based on an estimate of 1,600 rough sleepers
nationwide. Although WISH supports in principle this aim, the apparently
low numbers and the assumption that this is a one-off problem concern both
WISH and many other agencies. No detail is yet forthcoming on how this
aim is to be achieved; early suggestions seem to imply a number of large
hostels in the principal cities; with a degree of "persuasion" being applied.
This approach has been seen to fail many times in the past. WISH will
be adding its voice to the debate to attempt to secure a just and workable
solution to this problem.
All the evidence we are seeing shows an increase in rough sleeping in
West London. The Christmas ROOF will once again be the main point of contact
between WISH and our client group.
Due to the reports received from satisfied ROOF guests we have been
invited to open Cricklewood Homeless Concern's day centre for a Sunday
breakfast session. Discussions are in hand and we will let you know how
they progress.
With your help we will make this the busiest year yet for WISH. |
Each year WISH needs the help of a growing number of volunteers to
support the work and help raise the ever-increasing amounts of money needed.
Examples of cost and volunteer needs are:
| Service |
Cost |
Volunteers |
| Roof |
£28,000 |
400 |
| Outreach |
£10,000 - £15,000 |
70-100 |
| Breakfast Club |
£3,000 - £6,000 |
30-50 |
| All Night Cafe |
£100,000 - £150,000 |
100-200 |
WISH cannot meet these needs without your help as volunteers and fundraisers.
Some of the ways you can help:
-
Organising a local fund raising
event
-
Seeking workplace sponsorship
-
Give as You Earn;
-
Matcing funds from your employer;
-
Loan of equipment or buildings for
the ROOF our Outreach;
-
Sponsorship of individual services
- dental, medical, etc;
-
Talks to schools, youth or church
groups, Rotary Clubs, local Masonic Lodges etc.
-
Recruitment of ROOF volunteers by
word of mouth
-
Encouraging friends or relatives
to take part in Riverside Ramble, as walkers, marshals or sponsors
If you feel you can help in these
or any other ways please contact the WISH office. |
