Humanising Homelessness: A Duty of Care

3,217 people were seen sleeping rough on London’s streets between January and March 2019.

Our discussion focuses on our recent project for charity Shelter from the Storm - one of London’s only FREE homeless shelters - which provides 42 beds, food and support to its guests to help them get back on their feet. It also serves the wider community by inviting local people to use its facilities through its public cafe and shop.

We will talk about the work of the organisation, beyond the simple provision of shelter, in particular our experience of the extreme challenges the project has faced in terms of planning, funding, public perception and government policy.

We have invited the the panel to discuss their experiences on the topic and question our preconceptions of what a homeless shelter can be.

PANEL -
Sheila Scott, Founder, Shelter from the Storm
Diarmaid Ward, Executive Member for Housing & Development, Islington Council
Oliver Waddington-Ball, Head of Custom Content & Partnerships, The Big Issue
James Tompsett, Rough Sleeping Commissioning Manager, Westminster City Council

PROJECT PRESENTATION -
Chloe Anderson, Project Lead, Holland Harvey
Martina Luger, CMO, Ennismore
Helen Cuthbert, Director, Planning Potential