As the festive period begins for many, the lives of the few won’t be feeling the same excitement. Homelessness is a rampant epidemic in this country, and it only gets worse for those on the streets when winter arrives, suffering from bitterly cold nights, massive vulnerability to anti-social behaviour, and much more.

After suffering the physical and mental tolls homelessness takes, Christmas is the last thing someone should miss out on. No one should spend Christmas alone. Thankfully, there are incredible organisations that help those on the streets every day, and today we’ll be going over them and what they do.

Julian House

Based in Bath, Julian House offer up to 12 different services, from access to their 20-bed hostel to employment and skills advice. Their reach goes from Portsmouth to Plymouth, helping a massive chunk of the South West to get back on their feet in different ways.

Julian House even own a bike shop, where they employ and train people who have come to them for help, teaching them valuable skills while self-sustaining their organisation! They’re constantly looking for volunteers to help, and you can find out how to donate/join their fundraisers here: https://www.julianhouse.org.uk/support-us/

Encompass South West

Based in Devon, Encompass is one of the few advisory services available for rough sleepers or those possibly facing homelessness. They offer free and confidential advice on money & debt, rough sleeping, housing, young people’s homelessness support, and so much more.

There are several ways of getting in contact with Encompass, and you can even refer someone you know if they don’t have access to the internet, making this service so much more inclusive. They also offer paid employment and volunteering opportunities, so if you can help, be sure to get involved!

Find out more about their dozens of services, employment opportunities, and how to make a donation to keep their work going here: https://www.bpag-encompass.org.uk

The Haven – Torbay

This 10-person team in Torbay, just outside of Torquay, are committed to helping people move on from ‘what are often troubled, chaotic, unhappy or lonely situations.’

The Haven are open from 11am-2:30pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 11am-2pm on Thursdays. They’re open for a hot drink and a chat, offering support to those who need confidential advice on a variety of issues!

They’re entirely run on the kindness of donations and are actively recruiting more volunteers to better facilitate their service. Think you can help? Find out more on their website: http://haventorbay.co.uk

As for Notaro ARBD, we’ll continue working hard on helping residents with their path to recovery, and you can find out all about our work on our website or our social media platforms.