Crisis’ Christmas London centres have busiest year to date - over 4,000 people experiencing homelessness visit capital’s centres

Players of People’s Postcode Lottery have enabled guests of Crisis’ Christmas centres to access Crisis’ Housing First scheme to find permanent, settled housing

Figures from Crisis at Christmas in London reveal how this Christmas saw the largest number of people experiencing homelessness seeking somewhere safe, warm and friendly to spend Christmas. 

The centres opened their doors on Monday 23 December and over seven days, the centres: 

• Welcomed 4,030 guests across the charity’s sites in the capital 
• Saw over 11,500 volunteers help run the centres in London 
• Gave 558 health checks to guests 
• Gave 302 eye tests to guests
• Offered activities including IT tutorials, CV writing workshops, sports training and poetry workshops, t shirt painting, clay sculptures, wire models, knitted hats and self portraits  

After coming to Crisis’ Christmas centres, a number of guests were referred to Crisis’ Housing First team, which is now working with them to find permanent settled housing and end their homelessness for good.  

Housing First is a housing and support led approach to helping people with complex needs out of homelessness and into permanent, settled housing. The scheme provides intensive, personalised support, in addition to housing support and is currently being implemented in a number of areas across Great Britain. The scheme has already achieved impressive results in providing long-term housing solutions internationally, across North America and countries in Europe. 

Both Crisis’ Christmas centres and Crisis’ Housing First pilot scheme are supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. To date, players have raised nearly £4 million to help fund Crisis’ mission to end homelessness across Great Britain. 

Richard Lee, Director of Fundraising at Crisis, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery for supporting us. Christmas 2019 was our busiest year to date, offering vital support for people experiencing homelessness at Christmas, giving each and every guest somewhere warm and safe to spend the festive period and help them to make the first steps out of homelessness. 

“We will continue to be here at Christmas, and all-year round for people experiencing homelessness until homelessness is no longer a part of our society. We’re incredibly grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for helping us provide innovative schemes like Housing First, which we know are instrumental in ending someone’s homelessness.”   

Hazel Johnstone, from the charities team at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Players of People’s Postcode Lottery can be proud they are helping Crisis to work towards its goal of ending homelessness for good. The impact their support is having on the lives of people accessing Crisis’ services at Christmas and year-round will be invaluable.”