It’s not something you will understand until you experience it yourself (something I never hope to do). I doubt anyone thinks rough sleeping is great but it is hard to get your head around it unless you experience it yourself and experience it over a long period of time. The isolation and depersonalisation is what gets to people as much as the hunger and the weather, which is one reason why mental health issues are rife amongst rough sleepers and is their biggest barrier to living in stable accommodation again. It is why that documentary where MPs slept rough went nowhere, they were not on the street long enough to get the real picture and knowing it would end soon kept them going.
The filmmaker, Lorna Tucker, was on Adam Buxton’s podcast recently, well worth a listen. She’s funny and insightful, she was an international model after being homeless so has had a really varied life, from the streets to the high-end fashion world to film-making. I’ll definitely watch this film when it comes out.
I have seen a rise in the no. of rough sleepers around my work and Birmingham city centre that I pass through everyday. I am aware this is anecdotal.
What effective ways are there to help rough sleepers ? If I have money spare I buy lunch and a hot drink for those I can. I am aware this doesn’t solve the problem but I am curious as to what concerned citizens like myself can do to make a lasting difference ?
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It’s not something you will understand until you experience it yourself (something I never hope to do). I doubt anyone thinks rough sleeping is great but it is hard to get your head around it unless you experience it yourself and experience it over a long period of time. The isolation and depersonalisation is what gets to people as much as the hunger and the weather, which is one reason why mental health issues are rife amongst rough sleepers and is their biggest barrier to living in stable accommodation again. It is why that documentary where MPs slept rough went nowhere, they were not on the street long enough to get the real picture and knowing it would end soon kept them going.
The filmmaker, Lorna Tucker, was on Adam Buxton’s podcast recently, well worth a listen. She’s funny and insightful, she was an international model after being homeless so has had a really varied life, from the streets to the high-end fashion world to film-making. I’ll definitely watch this film when it comes out.
I have seen a rise in the no. of rough sleepers around my work and Birmingham city centre that I pass through everyday. I am aware this is anecdotal.
What effective ways are there to help rough sleepers ? If I have money spare I buy lunch and a hot drink for those I can. I am aware this doesn’t solve the problem but I am curious as to what concerned citizens like myself can do to make a lasting difference ?