91Èȱ¬

To find out more about Crisis please go to:

Or write to:

Crisis, 66 Commercial Street, London E1 6LT

Or call: 0300 636 1967

There are tens of thousands of homeless people sleeping on our streets, in squats, hostels or on sofas every night. I think it’s really shocking to see people sleeping rough in winter. I’ve always been lucky to have a roof over my head. But I know that every year in Britain far too many people find themselves without a safe or secure place to call home.

When I was a psychiatric nurse, I often met people whose mental health had seriously deteriorated through homelessness.

That’s why I’m a supporter of Crisis who offer immediate help to people separated from home and family – both at Christmas and all year round.

Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. Crisis helps homeless people rebuild their lives through groundbreaking services and campaigns to end the causes of homelessness.

91Èȱ¬lessness is devastating, leaving people vulnerable and isolated. Crisis believes everyone deserves a place to call home and the chance to live a fulfilled and active life.

Each Christmas, Crisis welcomes more than 4,000 homeless people at centres across the UK. Guests enjoy warmth, hot meals, a bed, new clothes, access to doctors, advice on housing, employment and benefits.

But homelessness is not just an emergency at Christmas. Each year, Crisis works with thousands of homeless people across the UK, offering housing, health, education and employment services, all year round.

For more information, go to their , like on , follow on .

Tony Finney always found it easy to get work and somewhere to live.

He said, ‘I had a good job, a nice flat, I socialized, it was really enjoyable.’

He worked in a hotel but all that changed after the recession, when the hotel started making cuts.

Tony said, ‘Basically lost my job, and within a month of that I had lost my flat too. I think you are probably only one or two pay packets away from homelessness. I sofa surfed for a while but peoples good will only lasts for so long. I ended up sleeping under a bridge. I was traumatized to go from having everything to having nothing. A real shock to my system.’

He was alarmed by the tough reality of life on the streets.

Tony said, ‘Sleeping out on the street was a real eye opener. I was quite frightened, and not really knowing what to do. I wouldn’t sleep in shop doorways because I didn’t feel safe. I thought that somebody could come along and maybe kick me or spit at me or hit me, urinate on me I mean who knows what could happen.’

Tony’s search for safety took him further away from the secure life he once led.

He said, ‘I actually went up to the forest where I got some cardboard I had a sleeping bag. So I was sleeping literally in the snow. I spent many nights shivering. Yeah, it was a real tough time. It does go through your mind, do I want to exist right now?’

Tony had been homeless for six months when he was referred to Crisis at Christmas.

A week after being a guest at Crisis, Tony found a place to live. He now has a part-time job and is getting his life back on track.

Elly Wright from Merseyside found herself homeless trying to escape domestic violence.

Elly said, ‘I felt really lonely on the streets to be honest it was just like it was horrible you know even if I was with people I felt alone you know it was just the fear you know, but the drink kept me company, that was like me only friend I felt which was obviously it wasn’t, it was a big part of my life that was disastrous.’

Elly became completely dependent on alcohol and the damage was immediate.

She said, ‘I lost like basically three stone in about just over a month to be honest it just dropped off because I didn’t eat you know I had no, and with it being cold it was horrible.’

Elly was on and off the streets for three years.

She said, ‘I got to the stage where I would be thinking where I couldn’t stand it being the way it was and I was just if I went to sleep I didn’t want to wake up, you know because it just got that bad I just thought this is all my life is it’s just not good.’

Things came to a head and Elly was admitted to a psychiatric unit.

It was when she left hospital that Elly heard about the Crisis Centre in Merseyside, one of the charity’s year round services across the country.

She said, ‘When I first came to Crisis I did feel like there was a weight lifted, they’re people who genuinely want to help and see me succeed.’

Elly enrolled on courses that the charity offer to build confidence, deal with anxiety and help employment prospects.

She said, ‘I’ve enjoyed the courses with Crisis especially the art and maths, because they give me a purpose you know with the courses I just like building up me skills.’

Crisis has turned Elly’s life around.

Elly said, ‘I do feel like Crisis has actually you know built up my life again basically because it was so broken. If I hadn’t found out about Crisis I really don’t know where I’d be to be honest. I’d probably be dead you know.’