Monday, December 24, 2012

Crisis centres for Homeless in Deptford and Bermondsey

Wandering around the West End doing Christmas shopping I was struck by the increase in the number of homeless people sleeping on the streets and in doorways. A report published last year by the charity Broadway found the number of people sleeping rough on London's streets has gone up by 43% in a year - from 3,975 to 5,678 between March 2011 and April 2012.

"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich and the poor alike to sleep under bridges,
to beg in the streets, and to steal bread" (Anatole France, Le Lys rouge/The Red Lily, 1894)
Photo taken on London Bridge earlier this month.

This year, homeless charity Crisis has opened five day centres over Christmas in London, including two in SE London:

'City of London Academy on Lynton Road will be the Bermondsey Centre. You can get picked up near Waterloo Station, the Park in Temple Place Crescent off Victoria Embankment, London Bridge (behind Southwark Cathedral) and a fourth being outside Bermondsey Tube Station...The final centre will be based at Lewisham College on Deptford Church Street'.

1 comment:

B said...

Great post. Rough sleeping is still an issue across London, but there are some great organisations doing their utmost to improve the situation.

Crisis is one of them, and I recently discovered Streetlink, who ask that members of the public contact them if they see anyone sleeping rough. They then contact the local authorities who dispatch a support team to ensure they get any help available. Find out more at http://www.streetlink.org.uk