The average life expectancy for a man who is street homeless is 45 (St Mungo's)
Please consider sponsoring me to run the "High Performance London Half Marathon" on Sunday 3rd March in aid of Single Homeless Project. You can donate to our hostel refurbishment fund or to SHP centrally. Read on for more details about why, or skip ahead to donate.
I work three days a week at King George's, a 68-bed hostel for male rough sleepers located in Westminster and run by the charity Single Homeless Project.
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Our residents are vulnerable men who live at the intersection of multiple disadvantages, including challenges to their mental and physical health, histories of trauma and missed opportunity, or addiction. They come from diverse backgrounds with diverse stories and diverse aspirations.
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In January 2024, our activity, therapy and games rooms were badly damaged by a sewage leak. Furniture and clothing had to be thrown away, the floor torn up. Art groups, bike maintenance workshops and breakfast clubs were put on hold.
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Renovations are underway. But SHP budgets are limited.
We would be really grateful for some financial assistance towards furniture, furnishings and games to transform it back into a welcoming space for our residents.
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Engaging our residents, helping them to meet others and be creative - these are central to our efforts to give them dignity and help them stay both physically and mentally well.
Here is the therapy room into which many items were hastily catapulted during the leak. We'd like to make it into a comforting one-to-one space, where residents would feel safe enough to have personal conversations with their key workers and other professionals.
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I'm running the "High Performance Half Marathon" on Sunday 3rd March in Stratford to raise money for the refurbishment. I'm hoping you'll consider donating.
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If you donate to the refurbishment fund directly, we'll consult the residents on how to spend the money. We'll offer them a choice of furniture and furnishings for these spaces. I'll post an update here.
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If you'd rather donate to SHP centrally, that's absolutely fine. The money will be used to support any of SHP's projects in London that work with rough sleepers, young people or provide tenancy support.
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If you can't donate, that's also OK. Consider saying hello and giving something to someone you see sleeping out. Small acts of kindness can go a long way.