Working together to tackle rough sleeping across Britain's railways
Since April 2019, we've partnered with Network Rail on the Routes out of Homelessness programme. This has included fundraising, volunteering and awareness raising. As the programme draws to a close in April 2024, we're continuing to pursue our shared aim of transforming the lives of people sleeping rough in and around stations. Our outreach service offers support to find accommodation and signposts those in urgent need to health, mental health and substance misuse services.
Hugely successful outreach projects in Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly stations from 2020-2022 have paved the way for a pilot service in London too. We're currently working in London Victoria Station in partnership with The Passage and at Charing Cross Station in partnership with The Connection at St. Martin’s.
Outreach services
Our partners at The Passage and The Connection are local organisations who were already working in the vicinity. With their support networks and local expertise, they're best placed to deliver a responsive, on-the-ground service. These organisations work with people who are rough sleeping to build rapport, link them with wraparound support services and find them accommodation.
To date, we've worked with 192 clients to offer support and have accommodated 59 rough sleepers. Our work is still continuing.
As part of this project, we also built a bespoke training programme for all new and existing Network Rail staff. This training package aims to increase the knowledge and understanding of homelessness and develop staff confidence when engaging with this community.
We've recently completed a detailed Theory of Change involving key stakeholders. This is now informing a new service delivery model which we hope will help us to continue our work with Network Rail for many years to come.
Fundraising and volunteering
Outside of the outreach service, Network Rail have supported us to fundraise through many different initiatives. For example, during the Christmas 2023 period, a wrapping station staffed by Network Rail volunteers raised £2,377 and London Bridge station kindly hosted our Walk for Home event.
