​

​The Whitechapel Centre is working to help all those without a home in the Liverpool region, from prevention to food packages, to supported accommodation, to outreach for people rough sleeping, and much more. We’re here for people who are homeless this Christmas, as we are throughout the year.

For Steve* it was a combination of many of these. He’s 22 now. He was sleeping rough as he faced mental health issues including PTSD, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and ADHD. Unsurprisingly he turned to drugs. 
​
Overwhelmed

A Whitechapel Centre staff member, Jason*, began working with Steve, who longed to reduce his drug use, move to independent accommodation, and access the benefits he was entitled to.

He was housed in a hostel but felt overwhelmed and his drug use spiralled.

​Jason offered practical support with Universal Credit and PIP applications, which were successful and provided financial stability. Jason said, “This practical assistance built trust. I was there whenever he needed someone to talk to.”  

Growing confidence

As Steve had a passion for exercise, Jason suggested they go to the gym together. Jason explained, “Although progress was slow at first, he eventually began to enjoy the workouts. As we attended more regularly, Steve became encouraging and motivating, not only for himself but for me, showcasing his natural talent for supporting others. This was a key moment, as it helped him rediscover a sense of purpose and achievement. We started to meet our fitness goals together. As his confidence grew he started to invest more time and energy in this pursuit. He saved his money to spend on gym classes, and equipment. During this period his substance use decreased significantly.”

Steve continued cutting back on the drugs but realised they were too easily accessible and so wanted to move to his own flat.

Jason took Steve to sign up for a course at a local sports organisation, which helps young people gain work and life skills, and provides free programmes including daily sports activities, mentoring, and qualifications like Maths and English. When Steve completed the course, he was offered the opportunity to pursue a personal training qualification, which he jumped at.​

From surviving to thriving

Steve eventually moved into his own flat, started budgeting effectively, and now manages his finances well. He no longer uses drugs. Jason added, “His newfound stability allowed him to thrive, both personally and socially. He’s now dating and enjoys attending concerts and spending time with friends. He even took up playing an instrument again, and his performances reflect his growing confidence and enjoyment of life. He now prioritises his well-being above everything else and is in the process of completing his personal training course.”

Our street outreach team visit those who are sleeping rough every day and we get over 2,000 calls a month to our phone hotline Always Help Available. If you see someone sleeping rough in Liverpool you can call 0300 123 2041 so we can follow up.

If you would like to help those in Merseyside facing Christmas without a home, please take part in our Christmas appeal, you could help buy Christmas dinner and a gift (£25), donate goods or support in other ways.
 
*Both names changed to protect identities 
​

The Whitechapel Centre is delighted to announce it has secured 3 year funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation for our Children & Young Persons Project.
​
The project complements the housing support we provide to homeless families by focusing on the well-being of children who experience homelessness. It will primarily work with children whose families are supported through the Belvidere Family Centre, Yates Court and Resettlement Service.
 
Clair Smith, manager at Yates Court family centre said, “We are so pleased that we are able to provide this extra support which is targeted at the children. Becoming homeless is difficult at any age but for children and young people it is particularly scary and confusing. The disruption to schooling, friendships and family life can have a huge and long-lasting impact so it’s vital that we can address it as soon as possible. We’re really grateful to the Steve Morgan Foundation for their support.”
Children who experience homelessness can be at risk of low self-esteem, low confidence, anxiety and mental health problems as a result of homelessness or the events which led to homelessness. A child's performance at school can be affected by unrecognised or unmet educational needs, lost learning time, worry and insecurity making it harder for children to commit their full attention. 

The project offers additional support to children to mitigate the risk of these issues arising and to provide a route back to stability where they do arise.  The focus will be education and development, health and well-being and connecting families into the local community to access leisure and cultural events. 
 
Our experienced worker will identify the young person’s support needs and agree a  plan. She will access the appropriate help, facilitating access to mainstream services   and advocating for specialist provision.  Alongside this we will offer a range of therapeutic activities for the children and young people; an opportunity to engage in fun, meaningful activities that will help enhance social engagement and improve self-confidence, health and well-being.  Our regular activities include weekly yoga, mindfulness, drama and music sessions, story-time and a homework club.  

Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation said: "Education and wellbeing of children and young people of the Liverpool area are matters close to our hearts at the Steve Morgan Foundation, especially when this is compounded by issues around homelessness. We are delighted to be working with The Whitechapel Centre and provide the essential funding needed to allow them to deliver their vital support through the Children and Young Persons Project.”
 

​I initially started my volunteering journey in November 2019 whilst I was at university studying Criminology and Sociology. It was a particularly cold, windy day and I had offered a man in the city centre, a McDonalds but he asked me if I had money to give instead. I felt really conflicted by this so politely declined but felt that I really lacked an understanding as to why he was asking for money and whether or not I should have given it to him.

I found The Whitechapel Centre whilst doing some research online and submitted an application to become a volunteer. During my training session there were so many options for me to choose from but I felt really drawn to the dynamic and fast paced environment of the day centre on Langsdale Street. However, I knew this was quite an ambitious choice as I was only 18 and had never done anything like this before.

I began volunteering every week and loved meeting so many new people, being able to provide a listening ear and make a tiny difference to someone’s day even if it was as simple as making a cup of tea or getting them another biscuit. Unfortunately, not long after I really got into the swing of things, the pandemic struck, leading the day centre to close and my role as a volunteer to change.

I began to drop off the food parcel provision for those in Covid emergency accommodation at various hotels and B and B’S across the city, working between the newly developed day centre and our donations centre. Whilst I still felt like I was making a difference and everyone was so grateful, I really missed the face to face aspect. As such, I began the next step of my Whitechapel Centre journey and encouraged by my fellow volunteers and manager, I applied to be a member of the bank staff.
Successful in this application, I was able to take up shifts in the main Covid emergency accommodation as part of the ‘Everybody In’ campaign. This was a big change from the food parcel delivery I had become accustomed to but I quickly fell back into the swing of the frontline role I missed. After 5 months of bank shifts, I was offered a permanent part time contract which allowed me to have my first caseload which I shared with another member of staff. This responsibility provided the opportunity to develop skills that been introduced to me in my very first days as a volunteer in Langsdale Street.

September 2021 saw the closure of this provision and a new role for me within the Outreach team. I quickly fell in love with this way of working and felt so inspired in the way the team worked together to find solutions for those who were rough sleeping, sometimes for the very first time. Despite this, the circumstances were often challenging, particularly in the winter months but there was such a sense of achievement in finding a housing solution for someone who had spent so long without accommodation.

During this time, I began to see a pattern in some of the people we were seeing on a regular basis and I was putting referrals into the Pathways team, who provided intensive outreach support to those where substance misuse is a barrier to accessing or maintaining accommodation. A lot of these referrals were for people that the system didn’t accommodate for and had been evicted or discharged from mainstream services for non engagement, leading them to continually rough sleep.

At this point, the end of university was fast approaching and I was looking for my post graduate job. Having been made to feel so welcome and motivated over the years, there really was no other option for me than to continue working at The Whitechapel Centre. I was fortunate enough to be offered a role on the Pathways team, finding my real purpose in support and advocacy, in a role where every single day is different. From teaching safe injecting on the street to taking people for manicures, from outreach in the snow, ice and rain to stadium tours round Anfield, I continue to feel so inspired by the staff, volunteers and people we supported over the years, knowing that I am so lucky to do a job that I love.