Westminster Cathedral Hall opened an emergency night shelter on Monday in response to the icy weather conditions forecast for the next few weeks, which can be deadly for anyone sleeping outdoors. Up to 20 guests can be accommodated, sleeping on mattresses and provided with a light evening meal and breakfast.
Farm Street Jesuit parish in Mayfair is providing hot meals and other services, such as haircuts, for homeless people on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with around 70 guests on each day.
The Farm Street parish priest and chair of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission, Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, told The Tablet: “At our service at Farm Street we’re seeing more and more homeless week by week and its clear there are new homeless affected by cost of living crisis.” He reported volunteers engaging with homeless people on the streets, providing food and warm clothes.
Catholic churches in central London such as Farm Street offer emergency provision, managed by Caritas Westminster. Referrals and support come from Westminster City Council who have agreed during cold weather to have night shelters open. “We are very grateful that this provision is now put into action and we hope that working together with the local authority will demonstrate the need for this on an ongoing basis,” said Fr Dominic. He added: “We need to call on MPs to repeal the Vagrancy Act of 1824 which criminalises rough sleepers.”
More than 140 homeless people died in the capital last year and the numbers sleeping on London streets since the summer have increased by around 24 per cent. Across Westminster diocese, hampers packed by school children are ready to be delivered and parishes and schools are using the Caritas Westminster Advent giving calendar to boost support for food banks and community projects. Caritas Westminster has provided funding to 15 parishes which have opened warm spaces. St Paul the Apostle in Wood Green is among those welcoming visitors, offering a simple meal, mince pies and mulled wine on Wednesdays.
Caritas Salford also reports a marked increase in those seeking support, with many being in work but still unable to put on the heating or make rent or mortgage payments. Director Patrick O’Dowd told The Tablet: “It’s frankly unacceptable for so many people to be living in poverty in 2022. We are seeing a significant increase in demand for food and other basic materials, as well as a need for financial support, debt advice and help for people experiencing or threatened with homelessness.” There has been an increase in people seeking support who have mental health problems exacerbated by stress over financial pressures. The Caritas Salford team is working with parents unable to afford shampoo for their children, individuals unable to afford the medication they need to stay fit and well and people unsure of where their next meal is coming from.
In Shrewsbury Diocese, donations for Caritas Christmas appeals go towards crisis grants to help struggling individuals and families. Ben Gilchrist of Caritas Shrewsbury told The Tablet: “Parishes and schools are being incredibly generous and this means we can give out more crisis grants at this vital time as well as hamper and toy donations.” Students at All Hallows Catholic College donated £1,500 for Christmas gifts. “We’re pleased that we’ve received £30,000 from Wirral Council to provide additional crisis grants and much valued support from Manchester City Council to help Afghan refugees still in hotel accommodation.”
On Monday, Raymond Friel, head of the Catholic Social Action Network, tweeted: “It will be a hard week coming up for many people, struggling to heat their homes and afford to eat, and in schools dealing with the implications of that, in our charities on the front line.” He advised, “Be kind, good people, for many you meet will be fighting a hard battle.” The same day, the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) of the Baptist Union and Methodist and United Reformed Churches suggested a prayer: “God, we pray for better provision for those most affected by the colder weather, and for medical services, charities and support services as they deal with increased demand.” The JPIT also urged social justice campaigners to send a candle to their MPs as a sign of hope for structural change “where everyone can afford to heat their homes”.
Last weekend Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham tweeted: “I met a very impressive group of young people at Holy Spirit Church, West Bridgford, who were on a sleep out on a very cold night to raise funds for Centrepoint who work to relieve homelessness among young people. Well done!”
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