I spent the morning visiting the Spires Centre in
Streatham. Spires is a drop-in centre for homeless people
next to St Leonard’s Church. The centre welcomes up to 40
homeless people a day, and has hundreds of homeless people
registered as users. It was alarming to learn how much
homelessness has increased recently, particularly among people from
Eastern European countries that have only recently joined the
European Union. Citizens from these countries are not allowed
to use public services and so are left penniless on the streets if
they can’t find somewhere to work or live.
Other groups include former prisoners, people whose lives are
damaged by drugs or alcohol, and to the shame of the public
authorities many homeless people at the centre were in care as
children. The centre also helps vulnerable women involved in
sex work, many of whom face alcohol addictions or are controlled by
pimps.
The centre offers a safe space for homeless people to come and
have a shower, see a doctor, dentist or chiropodist, have a shower
and a hot meal. On the day I visited, a group of volunteers
were cooking Christmas lunch and a local band was setting up to
sing Christmas carols. The visitors were sitting in groups at
tables, talking to each other over steaming mugs of tea and bacon
sandwiches. Mingling among them were volunteers helping
identify what kind of support each person might need. The
atmosphere was cheerful despite the huge problems faced by the
centre’s users – they clearly value this service enormously.
Without it, many of them would face even greater hardship, illness,
or even worse.
Amanda Addo, who runs the centre, told me how frustrating it is
they can’t help everyone who comes to them. The problem is
there’s simply not enough money. With the recession starting
to bite, donations from business sponsors are drying up.
Despite the many individual successes the Centre achieves, Amanda
feels distraught that so many are still left to sleep rough on
benches, under bushes, or in parks. This is obviously one of
the reasons there’s been an increase in squatting recently
too. I offered to talk to managers back at the town hall to
see what more support the Council can offer. I will also
write to the Immigration Minister, Phil Woolas MP, to outline my
concerns about the dangers of letting people come into the country
without the means to support themselves and without help available
if their lives fall apart.
Homelessness is a concern all year round, but there’s something
particularly poignant about it at Christmas. As many of us
spend time with families and friends, we must not forget there are
many who don’t even have a place to call home. Their only
hope is the staff and volunteers who work with inspirational
organisations like the Spires Centre. I can’t help thinking
that these people really understand the Christmas message, and they
live it out by helping some of the most vulnerable people in
society all year round.
A visitor to the Spires Centre enjoys a hot drink
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