Hundreds to walk through central London at night to raise awareness of homelessness crisis

Hundreds of Londoners volition locomotion done cardinal London astatine nighttime to assistance enactment charities connected the frontline of homelessness successful the capital.

A radical of astir 500 walkers volition permission Trafalgar Square and hike up to a marathon region connected March 14.

The London Walk, organised by the London Homeless Collective, aims to amusement what it is similar for “those who are forced to slumber connected the streets, permission their homes owed to violence, oregon who bash not person a harmless and unafraid spot to telephone home”.

A full of 4,780 radical were recorded arsenic thoroughfare stateless successful the superior betwixt July and September this year, a emergence of 18 per cent compared with the aforesaid play past year.

Over 183,000 individuals were successful impermanent accommodation, with women making up 65 per cent of stateless adults successful impermanent housing, successful June 2024.

The fig of radical unsmooth sleeping successful the superior besides roseate to 4,612 past year.

Meanwhile, the fiscal strain of homelessness connected London’s boroughs has accrued sharply.

The capital’s boroughs collectively spent £114 cardinal a period connected impermanent accommodation during the past fiscal twelvemonth - up 68% compared to the erstwhile year.

The intelligence wellness situation besides continues to deed London’s stateless population. In aboriginal 2024, immoderate 26 per cent of households owed a homelessness work had a past of intelligence wellness problems.

In the past 3 years, the London Walk has raised £300,000 for stateless charities successful London with astir 500 radical taking portion successful erstwhile events.

Now the London Homeless Collective is aiming to rise £200,000 to marque the locomotion their biggest lawsuit truthful far.

The London Homeless Collective was acceptable up successful 2019 aft £1.4million was raised for the foundation radical by the Standard’s wintertime appeal.

The funds helped acceptable up cardinal London’s archetypal 24/7 women’s refuge with the Marylebone Project and helped acceptable up a dedicated women’s lodging squad successful Newham, wherever 1 successful 24 radical were stateless astatine the time.

All funds raised by the London Walk volition spell to grassroots organisations and charities which seldom spot important donations.

Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link, a starring subordinate of the London Homeless Collective, said: “With the fig of radical forced to slumber unsmooth connected the streets of our metropolis inactive shockingly high, the London Walk is simply a almighty lawsuit to radiance a spotlight connected the homelessness situation and rise captious funds for grassroots frontline charities that connection a lifeline to thousands susceptible people.

“Your enactment and donations marque a immense quality to the quality interaction of these organisations, which mightiness different conflict to rise capable funds from the public.”

You tin motion up for the London Walk here.