Campaign relaunched to tackle rough sleeping in Bury St Edmunds

If you are looking for change for the people who are homeless and rough sleeping in Bury St Edmunds, then change the way that you give.

That’s the message from the charity Bury Drop In who’s Looking for Change campaign has been relaunched with the support of West Suffolk Council, Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District, Suffolk Constabulary and the Bury Free Press.

The charity works to support homeless and vulnerable people including rough sleepers, people sofa surfing at friends’ houses, people in hostels, and people who West Suffolk Council is supporting in temporary accommodation.

The Drop In provides a safe warm meeting place twice a week where people can get a hot meal and access support.

Looking for Change encourages people not to give money directly to people they see on the streets.

This is because in some cases the people are already accommodated and receiving support for drug or alcohol addiction.

Public donations of money to rough sleepers sometimes feeds that addiction and can result in people losing, leaving or refusing accommodation, jeopardising efforts to help them.

Bury Drop In asks people to instead donate online.

The money people give to the Drop In is then used to help people who have been rough sleeping, who have been accommodated, have received any relevant support for addiction or mental health issues and are ready to move on into their own home.

Donations have been used to help former rough sleepers with furniture for their new home and to help them rebuild their lives with equipment to study or train for a new career.

Robert Green, the chair of the Trustees at Bury Drop In, said: “It’s only natural, especially at this time of year, that people will want to help others who they can see are going through a difficult and challenging time in their lives.

“We’re encouraging people to think about why they give, what it is that they are looking to change, and to make that donation to the Bury Drop In instead.

“Through this, and our continuing work with partners to prevent and reduce homelessness, we are helping people who had been rough sleeping to move forward in the next stage in their lives.”

People can donate to Bury Drop In at www.burydropin.org/donate

The number of people rough sleeping on any night varies as people take up or leave accommodation.

On November 2 there were four people, confirmed as rough sleeping in West Suffolk.

West Suffolk Council, which employs a Rough Sleeper Support Service, is continuing to do all that it can to encourage all those who are rough sleeping in West Suffolk to accept its help.

Rough sleepers is just one part of homelessness.

Earlier this month West Suffolk Council revealed that it had prevented more than 200 households from becoming homeless in the past year.

The figure represents a 40 per cent increase in successful homelessness preventions compared to the same period last year.

These households include local families, couples and individuals from West Suffolk all going through a difficult and challenging time in their lives.

Another 153 households had been supported by the council in temporary accommodation and had moved into a home of their own.

The council is continuing to invest in temporary accommodation.

As of November 1, the council, was still supporting 61 homeless households in temporary accommodation.

If anyone sees or suspects someone is rough sleeping in West Suffolk, the quickest way to tell the council is through https://thestreetlink.org.uk

StreetLink then sends a notification to the council’s Rough Sleeper Support Service, who, if they aren’t already aware, will go out to find and speak to the person in an effort to help them.