Our reports

Reported 2 days ago by Tess

Renting is Hard

Tess describes her recent experience of navigating the private rental sector and the impact it has taken on her mental health

Manchester

Reported 2 days ago by TJ

The Cost of Helping

"Something really needs to be done to support the smaller groups of ordinary nine to five people that are making more of dent in the homeless crisis than any politician."

Birmingham

Reported 3 days ago by Denise

‘A Little Slice of Loveliness’

In this wonderful good news report, Denise reflects on some difficult times, and how a window displaying a family of mice became such an important part of uplifting her everyday.

Reported 3 days ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and Family support [Part 15]

In this report, part of a real time series in which Andrea talks about dealing with an illegal eviction, Andrea considers the importance of the support she has received from family and friends and wonders where she would be without it

London

Reported 4 days ago by Andrea

Illegally evicted and counselling [Part 14]

In this report Andrea writes about her experience of seeking counselling to help deal with the depression caused by being illegally evicted.

London

Reported 5 days ago by Andrea

Illegally evicted and some joy at last [part 13]

Andrea continues to report in real time on her experience getting illegally evicted, trying to get her belongings back from her previous address and battling to find a new place to live.

London

Reported 5 days ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and More Drama [Part 12]

In this report Andrea continues to talk about her recent experience getting illegally evicted and her struggle to find a new place to live.

London

Reported 6 days ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and Disaster Strikes [part 11]

In this report Andrea continues to report on being made illegally homeless and her battle to find somewhere new to live.

London

Reported 6 days ago by Charlie

Lifestyle choice part 2

In this report Charlie continues talking about the ridiculous idea that homelessness is a lifestyle choice. Please read Lifestyle Choice Part 1 before reading this.

Winchester

Reported 6 days ago by Andrea

Illegally evicted and emotionally wrecked [Part 10]

In this series reported in real time, Andrea talks about her experience of getting Illegally evicted and her battle to get rehoused.

London

Reported 6 days ago by Mat

Recovery and Self Belief

In this report Mat talks about the need for a little belief in launching a sustainable recovery.

London

Reported 6 days ago by Charlie

Lifestyle Choice Part 1

In this report Charlie talks about Braverman's recent comment about homelessness being a lifestyle choice. This is the first part of a two part report.

Winchester

Reported 1 week ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and Drama with the Form [Eviction Series Pt 9]

In this piece Andrea continues to talk about dealing with her recent eviction. This is the 9th instalment in the series. Please check out the rest,.

London

Reported 1 week ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and Closer to the Room (Eviction series, part 8)

This is the 8th piece in Andrea's Eviction Series. She talks about dealing with a sudden unexpected eviction and trying to find somewhere else to live.

London

Reported 3 weeks ago by John

The Cost of Living Crisis in Coventry

Hello everyone, its John Chiko again. I will be focusing on the cost of living crisis and its effect on Coventry and its people.

Coventry

Illegally Evicted and Back to Square One (Eviction series, part 7)

This basically means that landlords in England can get away with chucking you out and leaving you homeless, without giving you access to your belongings.

London

Reported 3 weeks ago by John

To Love is To Care

Let me introduce myself. My name is John Chikondewa Mpaso, however most people call me either “John “or “Chiko”

Coventry

Illegally Evicted and back to the Council (Eviction series, part 6)

You get signposted to organisations that don't have the capacity to support you, so they signpost you to the services that you have been rejected from.

London

Illegally Evicted and my Belongings (Eviction series, part 5)

I guess I'm just used to dealing with madness now and getting on with it without the need to harm myself.

London

Illegally Evicted and the Police (Eviction series, part 4)

I am feeling positive that this will now be resolved even if it takes longer than expected. I don't know what will come of this, but I just want my stuff back and to move on from this experience which has been dragging on longer than needed by a rogue landlord that thinks they're above the law.

Richmond

Reported 4 weeks ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and the Madness [Eviction Series Part 3]

I understand there is a lack of funding for services, but the lack of communication is really testing my patience and I'm starting to feel low. I'm now having to ask to stay at my friend's for longer than planned and becoming really resentful towards being on Universal Credit.

Richmond

Reported 1 month ago by Karen

So This Is A Choice Is It?

In this report, Karen responds to the comments made by Suella Braverman, Home Secretary, that many people sleeping rough are doing so as a lifestyle choice.

Manchester

Reported 1 month ago by Denise

”Like camping”

To keep her spirits up, and to try and stay optimistic, she would tell herself on bad days that it was "just like camping”. We both knew that it wasn’t... ”Like camping” didn’t even come close to how she was living.

Reported 1 month ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and Navigating Councils (Eviction series, part 2)

You can follow all the correct policies and procedures and still not get anywhere with getting housed. I have had no support with interim temporary accommodation and now have to rely on friends for somewhere to stay. I'm literally beyond fuming and helpless in the situation as I don't know what action I can take and who will be baring the cost.

Twickenham

Reported 1 month ago by Andrea

Illegally Evicted and Free (Eviction series, part 1)

The impact illegal evictions can have on people is not widely discussed. So here are my thoughts as I'm going through this.

Richmond

Reported 1 month ago by Anon 1

What has Listen Up done for Me

The Listen Up! project has given me belonging, creative outlet, learning opportunities, participation opportunities and feeling of safety and appreciation. I am really grateful and feel fortunate to be part of this project that has become an important part of my life.

London

Reported 1 month ago by Denise

‘Poor Life Choices’

I've never been a fan of labels... especially the really judgy ones. "He’s a crackhead” or “She’s an alchy”, for example, are in my top three, but “Well, they make poor life choices...” is right up there, topping the charts for me. .. especially if we break that sentence down; like with this picture here.

Reported 1 month ago by Charlie

The Plan to Abolish the Working Capability Assessment

But the government are doing away with them, and it is going to cause absolute havoc and poverty and distress. And it's going to cost lives. There's no two ways about it. It's going to cost lives.

Winchester

Reported 1 month ago by Mat

Do we need a volunteer charter? Some Background…

It is difficult to argue against the assertion that homeless services have improved over the past 20 years, especially when it comes to valuing the voice of people with experience of homelessness. For so long, that top down, hand out, pity-driven brand of charity would frame those people experiencing homelessness as wretched and helpless.

London

Reported 1 month ago by Andrea

Andrea/John [Part 2] Andrea gives some advice on working together

That's how you go about these things. You have to do it collectively

London

Reported 2 months ago by Aaron

Life, Loss and Johnny Concrete, Bethany

And yet, in the blink of an eye, it can all be taken away. I write from experience, and as if it had happened yesterday, I can remember exactly when my entire life was ripped apart.

Bolton

Reported 2 months ago by Kwaku

Kwaku interviews Steve on his experiences of seeking asylum in the UK

Kwaku Appiah, a Listen Up! Reporter, interviews Steve. Steve talks about his experiences of seeking asylum in the UK and explains to Kwaku how he left Cameroon because of his sexuality. Steve talks about being part of supportive groups and communities and highlights the importance that LGBTQI+ welcoming spaces for asylum seekers has had for him. Steve reflects with Kwaku on the challenges he has faced in navigating the Home Office system and talks about his hopes for the future, in particular his interest in studying communication and media.

Reported 2 months ago by Mark

Being Homeless Totally Sucks, Hopefully the Next Government will be More Sympathetic

Hopefully, the increasing numbers of people at risk of homelessness will help lobby the government to offer a more sympathetic ear and make finding a safe place to call our own a much easier process. Hell, living in a homeless hostel for years is not acceptable. After all, isn’t having a stable and safe place to live one of the cornerstones of the Universal Declarations of Human Rights?

Reported 2 months ago by Karen

A Visit to A&E

My recent visit to A&E was a real eye opener and validated my belief that mental health is at crisis point. Never have I witnessed so many distraught, desperate, poorly people.

Manchester

Reported 2 months ago by Andrea

John interviewed by Andrea about his experience in the U.K

Because you can tell a lot of the service users are very isolated, very isolated. A lot of people that face a lot of difficulties in terms of integrating one way or another, it really wears them down.

Coventry

Reported 2 months ago by Y.C.G.

Progression not Regression

The fear still lingers in my own flesh And bones, worrying, what is next? Who knows, nobody knows. My negativity governs over me. Positivity. Adopting a P.M.A, Positive Mental Attitude to everything, you must be joking?

London

Reported 2 months ago by Denise

I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll…

Today I pulled out of a book launch. It sounded nice as well; welcome drinks, canapés, a captivated audience. I might even have sold some books… You see I wasn't attending this as a guest or as a reporter… this was my book launch. For me. My name's Denise and amongst other fun mental health related stuff, I have complex PTSD.

Reported 2 months ago by Y.C.G.

My life is mine, not yours

A superpower? Recovery, people, places. Things. Friends, SCT. Groundswell. Hope, experiences, strength. Another life, another story.

Reported 2 months ago by Aaron

Healing the Past

And yet, even now, writing this, I feel a huge weight is being lifted as I drop the chains dragging me to the past and I exorcise the demon that’s been tearing at my soul for decades...Much love to you all

Bolton

Reported 2 months ago by Mark

Celebrating World Mental Health Day (10th October 2023)

In my opinion, it is all about achieving the small things in your own sweet time. No point in dragging the horse to water if he doesn’t want to drink, but it must realize that pool of water is there. In the meantime, let’s celebrate our achievements, no matter how small we think they are, now with our peers across the world on the 10th of October 2023, on World Mental Heath Day.

Reported 2 months ago by Denise

These Streets…The house that Jack built.

This is Jack. He's 26 years old and he sleeps in a bus stop. Now I don't know about you, but I think that there's something very, very wrong when you're 26 and sleeping in a bus stop..."The House That Jack Built" is what happened when I met Jack.

Reported 2 months ago by Denise

‘Home’ a tiny true story…

You look at all the homeless people sleeping on benches or in shop doorways on cardboard, and think to yourself "Thank God that that will never be me"...I know; I get it...because I used to think that too... "Home"...an award-winning, tiny true story.

Reported 2 months ago by Tess

Tell Me A Bit About Yourself

Tess tries to make sense of identity and self through the lens of mental illness and aliens

Manchester

Reported 2 months ago by Charlie

Off the Wrag

They are going to have that peace of mind taken away from them when this benefit is abolished as they are going to have to search for work straight away.They are going to lose money and they are going to be forced into conditions where they may be mentally incapable of coping.

Winchester

Reported 2 months ago by Mat

Fighting the narrow perception of homelessness

By focusing on stereotypes in this way we exclude certain other groups and individuals, and we fail to see how homelessness impacts as it does many different individual people with their own stories.

London

Reported 2 months ago by Charlie

The potential anxiety of Government’s welfare reforms

In my opinion, many of the people I am talking about won't be able to deal with the stress and demands of regular job searches and are going to end up being sanctioned as a result. It is going to be so disruptive, just to save a bit of money in the short term.

Winchester

Reported 2 months ago by Andrea

Getting into Therapy as a Recovering Alcoholic

I ended up doing 12 sessions of CBT and it has changed my life for the better.

London

Reported 2 months ago by Miles

Soul Service

One of the things I do outside of my reports for Listen Up at Groundswell is helping to run an afternoon cafe, once a week, in an established setting, which also provides daily breakfast for those experiencing homelessness, social exclusion and loneliness.

York

Reported 2 months ago by Miles

PIP or POP – The Verdict Is In

So, it's a couple of weeks since my last report was posted on Listen Up and I have hot off the press news, from DWP/PIP… he/she/they say..........

York

Reported 3 months ago by Karen

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

"...When we borrow money, it needs paying back. We start robbing Peter to pay Paul and there starts the downward spiral..."

Manchester

Reported 3 months ago by Karen

An Hour At A Time

"A day was like a lifetime in early recovery: it seemed so unachievable. An hour on the other hand felt kinder."

Manchester

Reported 3 months ago by Tess

Preventing Suicide

What could have prevented me from trying to end my life? Content warning - this report is about suicide

Manchester

Reported 3 months ago by Mat

We Need to Listen

In my opinion it is time we looked, and looked hard, at the type of progressive services that offer in-house counselling, so that others like them can be set up across the country.

London

Reported 3 months ago by Tess

Freedom to Work on Myself

Tess writes about her fears, unemployment benefits and the future

Manchester

Reported 3 months ago by Miles

PIP or POP – Assessment Torture

"I've been helping someone with their ongoing PIP renewal applications. We wanted to say how pressured it's been, is, and more importantly, could be."

York

Reported 4 months ago by Charlie

The Ongoing Cost of Living Crisis

The cost of living should have been focused on ten years ago, and on, right on to this present day. It's only because a larger part of the population is now affected that it has become such a point, and something is finally being done about it.

Winchester

Reported 4 months ago by Miles

Grief or Loss -My Take

Grief. It's such a sensitive subject, there's no rights or wrongs in how to live with it- can you, can it pass, will it ever pass. Bigger and better people might think they have answers, I don't.

York

Reported 4 months ago by Karen

Can You Grieve Twice For One Person?

Am I already grieving for my dad even though he's still living? I'm looking at him now and I see life draining away from him, day by day he's deteriorating, becoming the shadow of the man he used to be.

Manchester

Reported 4 months ago by TJ

The Age of Exclusion (Digital Revolution)

The digital revolution, in my opinion, needs to be a lot more controlled in the sense of equal rights surrounding access to internet and devices. It could be a really good way of benefitting mankind as a whole, but we need the government to realise and remember those less fortunate and those that are financially struggling.

Birmingham

Reported 5 months ago by Karen

My Bench

A poem about how we all need parks, no matter who we are and why

Manchester

Reported 6 months ago by Karen

The Trials of Digital Exclusion

"What happens if you haven't got a son like mine, a phone, wi-fi, the mental capacity or the patience? Where do these people get help to complete forms that are so long winded and repetitive?"

Manchester

Blogs Microreports Reports

Loss of Digital Access through Libraries

For a start a lot of libraries now aren't called libraries anymore, they are called Discovery Centres and so they are trying to discourage homeless people from going into them, which is wrong because it has always been a safe haven for homeless people.

Reported 6 months ago by Charlie

Winchester

Reported 6 months ago by Karen

Loneliness & Isolation

"Addiction/mental health created that void, that hole in my soul... This was a very lonely time in my life, very dark and self-loathing."

Manchester

Reported 6 months ago by Charlie

Digital Learning through cafes

So these places should also open up and provide someone who is technologically savvy and teaches people how to work on the tablets, and teach people what to do when they get in to problems.

Winchester

Reported 6 months ago by Charlie

The Need for a Volunteer Charter [part 2]

They should have a path built into take them up to where they can go, whether that is going back into the work place or reaching the highest limits that they can, whether it be permitted work or even just staying on the dole

Winchester

Reported 6 months ago by Steve

The Coronation is a Waste of Money

Let's have it right, that's what it is. It's hypocrisy backed by the ideological state apparatus which in this country is a huge fucking machine and people are falling for it left, right and centre.

London

Reported 6 months ago by Mat

Homeless Communities

When we think about the experience of being homeless, we often think about isolation and loneliness but there are different and powerful communities that people with experience of homelessness can be part of.

London

Reported 7 months ago by Tess

Ten Years

"Ten years is only significant because part of me has decided it should be." Tess reflects on whether it means anything to have survived the last ten years and the significance of joy

Manchester

Reported 7 months ago by Karen

Karen Reports: The Wellspring

Karen returns with another film - this time spotlighting The Wellspring project in Stockport.

Stockport

Reported 7 months ago by Tess

Karen Interviewed

Listen Up! have been fortunate to build a relationship with Homeless Diamonds – an arts magazine which compiles writing and art by people associated with St Mungo's. The latest issue featured an interview between Reporter Karen and Project Officer Tess. You can read the full interview here.

Manchester

Reported 7 months ago by Anon 1

My Struggle with Technology

The world seems to have gone crazy. Everything including booking NHS appointment or dealing with benefits or the council rent account requires access to internet and the ability to use it.

London

Reported 8 months ago by Mat

Mat Goes Home

London

Reported 8 months ago by Miles

The Day the Prince Came to Chat

How did Miles come to chat to a prince? Find out about his experience here

York

Reported 8 months ago by Nawshin

Red Nose Day

Yeah, I really, really love doing this kind of stuff. So honestly, I would just feel better if I had more opportunities like this. That's it.

London

Reported 8 months ago by TJ

Is Any Roof Better Than No Roof?

"Being homeless really is sometimes a bad catch 22 and it’s not always the rough sleeper's fault."

Birmingham

Reported 8 months ago by TJ

People Say Money is the Route of All Evil

"People say money is the route of all evil, in most cases I’d agree but I’ve come to realise over the past month or so that a close contender for the route of all evil is emotions."

Birmingham

Reported 8 months ago by Tess

Pets Are All The Reasons

"Cats, dogs and other kinds of other animals, are there when other humans aren’t; they love unconditionally; they are friends, family and hope all rolled into one and all they ask in return is kindness."

Manchester

Reported 8 months ago by Tess

Prince William Podcast

Prince William in conversation with Groundswell volunteer reporters Miles and Nawshin on their ‘Listen Up! podcast

London

Reported 8 months ago by Miles

Any Roof Experience

Miles reports on his experience of applying for a property and the decisions he had to make along the way

York

Reported 8 months ago by Karen

Council Tax Farce

"the people on the lowest incomes seem to be penalised the most and that's what I've been - I've been punished"

Manchester

Reported 8 months ago by Mat

Red Nose Day

All in all it seems to me that this collaboration with the BBC and Comic Relief was an incredibly positive experience for all who took part.

London

Reported 8 months ago by Karen

Eviction

"This is just one incident of how someone can be evicted through no fault of their own and how the system has failed them."

Manchester

Reported 8 months ago by Karen

Nuisance Beggars

"Just been reading an article about how the Prime Minister is to launch a crackdown on nuisance beggars causing public distress. It's saying that the police and local authorities will get added powers to target these people deemed to be causing public distress."

Manchester

Reported 9 months ago by Karen

Karen Reports: Made in Manchester

Karen speaks to Claire about her experiences of rough sleeping in Manchester in a follow up to her previous film. Content warning: this film speaks of a sexual assault

Manchester

This Project is Evolving

The strength of it has always been with the first hand reports and it seems to be carrying on that way.

London

Skills for life

For me, I was so mired in shame when I started working for Groundswell, that I was almost unable to make a decision without deferring to my boss.

London

Net Access, Gross Benefit

Access to the net can help people as they struggle to recover and rebuild their lives and break the cycle of homelessness. It does this by providing information and support through a remote connection to others, support that comes in the form of both practical advice and human emotional support.

London

Reported 9 months ago by Karen

My Erasmus Experience

Groundswell are currently working with partner organisations from Ireland, Italy and Hungary, on an Erasmus+ funded project. In this report Karen reflects on her experience of visiting partners in Budapest to learn from their work.

Manchester

Reported 9 months ago by Miles

Do You Feel Heard?

Charlie, Nawshin and Miles tell how it feels to be and not to be heard in this Listen Up! animation

London

Reported 9 months ago by Tess

I Have Nightmares, Do You?

I sometimes feel very juvenile when I tell people I have nightmares, but everyone I’ve spoken to about nightmares says they have them too. Why don’t we talk about them? What are we afraid of?

Manchester

Reported 9 months ago by Miles

My Budapest Experience

Groundswell are currently working with partner organisations from Ireland, Italy and Hungary, on an Erasmus+ funded project which focuses on sharing learning on how best to support older people experiencing homelessness. In this report Miles reflects on his experience of visiting partners in Budapest to learn from their work.

York

Vouchers and Stigma

And the real nub of this is when this person couldn't use this to buy the food they were almost dreaming of at that point because they didn't have any other money and they were hungry and they were told to just put it on their credit card or pay through some other way or means.

London

Reported 9 months ago by TJ

Doorway To A Dark Place

When you stand in a shop doorway what do you see? In my experience a shop doorway is the home of invisibility, pain, suffering and longing.

Birmingham

Reported 9 months ago by Tom

Digital Inclusion with Janet and John

Janet feels that every time she goes for help people talk down to her and patronise her (the current tutor John is not like this at all). She goes to charities who get funding who offer her help, but the sessions aren’t what she wants. Worse, they aren’t frequent enough, and she constantly hears the word confidence, or it’s implied lack, which is in some way her fault.

Brighton

Reported 10 months ago by Steve

What HHPA training has done for me

I've been doing HPAA work, Homeless Health Peer Advocacy. And yeah, I have to say, I find it really rewarding, you know, for a few reasons.

London

Reported 10 months ago by Charlie

The Need for a Volunteer Charter

So I believe there should be a charter for volunteers, because I believe that this is a section that is exploited. They are cheap and easily disposable

Winchester

Trauma

What do you do when you are told by a psychologist that you likely have PTSD from your homelessness?

Stoke-on-Trent

Reported 10 months ago by Karen

Volunteer

I really enjoy being able to give my time freely it is so rewarding and gives me a sense of purpose. Once I got into recovery and sorted my life out I knew I wanted to be a volunteer and give a little bit back to society because I received so much help when I was at my lowest.

Manchester

Reported 10 months ago by Karen

Karen Reports: Claire’s Story

Karen interviews Claire about her experiences of homeless and the importance of home

Manchester

Reported 10 months ago by Aaron

Allow Your Voice to be Heard

I don't ask if someone can or can't do something. Ask yourself how it can be done and then allow your voice to be heard.

Bolton

Reported 10 months ago by Charlie

Mental Health and Addiction are Symptoms

At the end of the day it is all about the cause. It not about whether it’s mental health, whether it’s drink or whether its gambling, it’s about what caused the issues in the first place – what was it at the start that made your mentality turn that way in the beginning.

Winchester

Blogs Microreports Reports

Why I don’t want to work in addiction services

I don't want to work in recovery at the moment because I don't want to have a job just for being an ex addict and then being known with my employers as an ex addict.

Reported 10 months ago by Sheryle

London

Reported 10 months ago by Mahesh

Temporary Accommodation, Temporary Respite

Personally my experience of TA, was of a world difficult to access, It's wildness pummeled me, not so much mentally, as spiritually, punishing me, depressing the natural bonvivantness of my life, my joie de vivre generally.

London

Lets Get A Football Ground

A borough councils football club had an outdated football ground and were facing going into administration. The local council had the bright idea to give them £10.25m loan to buy a plot of land next to the stadium and bring the team out of administration. The money literally vanished and no work or improvements were carried out.

Birmingham

Duty of Care pt 2

There are so many factors in both part one and part two of my article that contribute to the lack of duty of care. It’s my personal opinion that something really needs to be done about the lack of duty of care. This opinion is open to discussion though as it’s a key factor in people getting out of homelessness back into a normal sustainable life.

Birmingham

Duty of Care pt 1

Despite being a "legal requirement" for all service providers that deal with vulnerable or troubled people "duty of care", is a phrase that gets thrown around by the majority of "support and wellbeing services" to make themselves sound good on paper or sound good theoretically.

Birmingham

Everybody Needs Somebody

"..the paramedic got there and said I couldn’t have done anything better and that I probably saved his life..."

Birmingham

Reported 10 months ago by Charlie

Little Benefit to Benefits

I believe the benefits system should keep volunteers on full benefits plus pay you extra when you do these volunteering jobs. This would help to build up your confidence give you that takes the pressure away from being unemployed, being on the breadline.

Winchester

Listen Up! Podcast: Is it possible to fully recover? With Nel and Miles

In this podcast, Nel and Miles share their experiences of addiction, recovery, mental health and homelessness giving hope to others and sharing what helped them get through.

London

Listen Up! Podcast: Is it possible to fully recovery? With Mat and Mahesh

In this podcast, Mat and Mahesh share their experiences of addiction, recovery, mental health and homelessness giving hope to others and sharing what helped them get through.

London

Listen Up! Podcast: Is it possible to fully recover? With Karen and Laura

In this podcast, Karen and Laura share their experiences of recovery, addiction, mental health and homelessness giving hope to others and sharing what helped them get through.

Manchester

Reported 11 months ago by Charlie

Volunteering, a Bridge to Work

Or if you get a job, you get to the factory, the shop, the office building or whatever it is, and you just can't cross the threshold because of that fear, that pure fear of failure.

Winchester

Reported 11 months ago by Charlie

Where have the dry houses gone?

Dry houses offer the opportunity for residents to access counselling, benefits, housing advice and help in looking for employment. This can be especially helpful when people are fresh out of rehab and prone to relapse.

Winchester

Reported 11 months ago by Karen

A Year with Groundswell

I feel more involved in what is happening around me and more aware of the real problem we have of homelessness and health inequalities in this country

Manchester

Reported 11 months ago by Karen

Let’s Pull Together and Prove Them Wrong

When the government lets us down and the powers that be ignore us, when the rich and privileged turn a blind eye to the dire and squalid lives that many have to endure. When all of this seems so overwhelming and pointless, when any hope or vision of an easier better life is out of reach. The Community Spirit always finds a way to shine through, to make someone's struggle a little lighter and, yes, I know it's only a sticking plaster but it's better than nothing isn't it?

Manchester

Video Stories

Karen Reports: Andrew’s Story

Karen interviews Andrew about his experiences of homelessness and recovery

Reported 11 months ago by Karen

Stockport

Reported 11 months ago by Mat

The Cost of Mental Health

There is plenty of proof out there to show that mental health problems can seriously exacerbate physical illness, affecting outcomes and the cost of treatment.

London

Reported 12 months ago by Aaron

Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

So now when I'm asked the question is my glass half empty or half full, my reply is simply this "I need a bigger glass!"

Bolton

Reported 12 months ago by Aaron

Temporary Accommodation [Part 2]

During this time the staff never stopped helping me with whatever i needed, they respected my long-term health issues and helped me to find a suitable property and assisted me in attending all viewings.

Bolton

Reported 12 months ago by Aaron

Temporary Accommodation [Part 1]

I wasn’t given an explanation and though they didn’t say the words I felt like I was being told I didn’t belong here and to just fuck off! Anger, disappointment, upset, sadness, despair, shock and above all – overwhelming loneliness,

Bolton

12 Days of Reporting

On the 12th day of Xmas Groundswell posed to me..

York

The Real Meaning and Reality of Christmas

There are two sides of Christmas - the meaning and the reality

Manchester

An Alcoholics Christmas

Alcohol is the only drug I know that you have to make excuses why you don't want it.

Manchester

12 States of Housing

On the 12th day of Xmas, Groundswell posed to me...

Audio Stories Blogs Reports

York

This Is What Addiction Is All About

My friend died today. And. Yeah. Just wanted to talk about it really.

Manchester

Recovery is a Journey

Recovery is often a journey. It took me quite a while to learn that. But once I did my perception of life changed forever and I was able to begin to heal.

Bolton

What does recovery mean to me?

I am still healing, or recovering if you wish. I’ve allowed my perceptions to change, it’s allowed me to seek help from other sources, sources I never would’ve even considered before

Bolton

Food is our Fuel

But spare a thought for those that do not have a choice. For those that are sleeping rough, food is their fuel!

Blogs Reports Video Stories

Bolton

Do You Feel Heard? – Nel’s Story

This short animation describes the barriers that reporter Nel has faced accessing healthcare as a woman experiencing homelessness

Reported 1 year ago by Nawshin

London

Blogs Reports Video Stories

Do You Feel Heard? – Miles’ Story

In this short animation, Miles describes the realities of trying to navigate healthcare as a person in recovery with few choices and little time

Blogs Reports Video Stories

York

Do You Feel Heard? – Charlie’s Story

This animation describes the barriers that Charlie experienced as a parent in supported accommodation with mental health issues.

Winchester

Cost of Living

And the main thing we're trying to save our money for is to pay for the heating bill... I've never seen the cupboards looking so bare

Manchester

A Bitter Taste of Longing

My eyes sting from the bitter tears that fall silently down my cheeks and my stomach growls painfully in anticipation of a meal that is beyond my means.

Bolton

Temporary Accommodation

it’s just not right that people existing in our professed compassionate society are forced into soulless, desperate places to sleep

York

Molar Misery

So, my health journey continues with my trip today to the teeth police, or dentists to be more polite

York

“The past would let go of me…”

I wondered if feeling this way was worth it to get help – should the process to find treatment make me feel so vulnerable?

Manchester

Dr Doctor

Whilst this option may offer a modicum of convenience for some people, it wouldn’t be the best option for me. When i see my GP face to face, i feel like I am valued as a person and I’m actually being listened to with care and attention, that I am not just another person on the conveyor belt of medical misery.

Bolton

Reported 1 year ago by Mat

Listen Up to the Positives

Now, in it’s current form, the project known as Listen Up! is primarily concerned with improving the provision of services by sharing reporters’ stories through the Listen Up! website. In addition the project is trying to change the way that the media reports on homelessness so that the public views those with experience of homelessness with humanity and understanding rather than judgement and pity

London

Discussions About Homelessness

Why do people stereotype and judge the less fortunate? Why do they assume that "homeless" only refers to those living on the streets and that alcohol and drugs are the root cause?

Manchester

A refund too far…?

I couldn’t believe it. Who are they to tell me what to do with what is essentially MY money and not theirs? Not to mention the utterly condescending way the message was delivered.

Bolton

What Difference Do Social Connections Make?

When we are unsure, we seek the familiar

Stoke-on-Trent

As Fate Would Have It

my problem was with trying to register with a GP or a Dentist. I tried for months but nowhere would register me. My health issues are severe and i need very thorough and regular health check ups as a side effect of previous treatments I had undergone. My frustration grew with every attempt at a different surgery when I would once again be told that I couldn’t register quite simply because I didn’t have a permanent address!

Bolton

Some Addicts Don’t Recover

We didn't think we were harming anyone at the time but, in reality, we were dragging the entire family through our addiction.

Manchester

Reported 1 year ago by Anon 1

How my cats kept me sane during difficult times

. But now the colony kitties were giving me respite and I was eventually able to take in my house cats. This was really helpful to all of us. Then we finally moved again, this time into a place that is more suitable for my house cats and I can even take my male kitty outside for walks. This mean a lot to us all. The kitty loves his outings and I enjoy going for walks with him especially on nice sunny days.

London

How Ironic

Manchester

Fraudulent Recovery

Truth is I’ve been feeling like a bit of a fraud. I try to picture myself how others would see me, and I worry that if I break the illusion that I’m “recovered” then it will somehow affect the way people relate to me or they will reject what I have to say.

Stoke-on-Trent

Reported 1 year ago by Tom

The Bad Behaviour Buffer

Cyclical homelessness comes from much the same sources as criminal recidivism, lack of fear of the consequences, and failure to escape the problems that got you into trouble in the first place. I suffer the same warped worldview of many other formerly homeless people. I don’t really understand the “real” world anymore.

Brighton

Reported 1 year ago by Mahesh

I Salute You

With deep respect and obeisance, I offer a salute to all humans and other sentient beings, who have suffered displacement in their lives due to politics, wars and or natural causes

London

Reported 1 year ago by Mahesh

Bubbling Magma.

The realisation that one is truly, physically homeless, almost immediately and with very little warning can leave you stunned.

London

“What Does Recovery Mean to You?”

September is recovery month, so I asked some friends, "What does recovery mean to you?" Here's what they said

Manchester

I Took People as they Came

My old man gave me rule to go by, when I was young -- "you'll find good people and you'll find bad people, try an’ stick with the good people.”

Winchester

Remote vs Face 2 Face

Now it’s remote, we are doing much better with covering the workload. I mean one of our contracts covers Hampshire, Dorset and bits of Surrey. When we were doing that face to face it was impossible to cover because of the travel times.

Winchester

Reported 1 year ago by Mahesh

Health Issues

Recognising that the degree of good health, mental and physical, differs for everyone, I personally would like, through my reportage to increase awareness of issues faced by those experiencing street homelessness. I want to inform the general public and legal bodies, (overwhelmed as these bodies may be) so that they can better assist vulnerable people to acquire and sustain a less stressful, healthier and happier life.

London

Reported 1 year ago by Mat

Choose Life

Choose Life, init. Choose life and move on. Forget about the drugs and think of it as doing something rather than denying yourself something. You are getting something new, something you want. Instead of saying no over and over again, you are saying yes. Yes, to life.

London

Audio Stories Blogs Reports

I Spent Over Three Years on the Floor

While I was sleeping on the floor...they knew my son was living there, they knew it was only a small little flat, and they knew that it was difficult. But I spent four and a half years sleeping on the floor, and I think this is because I was quiet.

Winchester

Finally, That Day I Got My Flat Key

So, the day finally arrived, I'm nervous, excited and scared to unlock my new front door, it's happening...... finally

York

What Recovery Is or Isn’t (For Me)

I spent years lying.......to family, drugs and alcohol services, the GP's, the A&E staff and definitely MYSELF!

York

‘In Recovery’

I will always be recovering, I will never have this side of it boxed off.

Manchester

Recovery from Domestic Abuse

Please note: this article talks about domestic abuse

Manchester

Sometimes

Sometimes we can have a problem that feels embarrassing to admit.

Manchester

Advice from the Listen Up! Reporters

At August’s reporter meeting, we had an icebreaker of “what advice would you give to everyone here”. It was so good, we wanted to share our advice with everyone

London

Reported 1 year ago by Sheryle

Crime and Punishment

The police decided I should be classed as a criminal, something that would effect me for the rest of my life .

London

Two Days in a Heatwave

Manchester

Reported 1 year ago by Maya Bly

Hell is a Heatwave in a Bad Building

The atmosphere is muggy and there’s a sour smell in the flat, caused by the mice behind the cupboards and in the walls and by the rotting carpet. The windows are sealed shut and haven’t been washed in years.

London

When Disadvantages Become Advantageous

Deprivation has ended up benefitting me. I’m realising this with a sense of guilt. I defied the odds and opportunities related to deprivation boosted me and have created a better life.

Manchester

Things Looking Up

Just remember that things will look brighter if you give it time to show itself to you

Manchester

Private Rental – Making it Harder for the Most Vulnerable

Can we truly say that someone on benefits who may be only getting £365 per month (UC) can afford to pay for the council tax, rent top up plus other things?

Manchester

Free and Riding: How it’s Helping

What do you think when someone says that they free, what do you think when people say they hitting the road?

Travel with Autism…

Many people don’t know that travelling with autism can be stressful for the person, family and others

Manchester

Class, Status, Money and Power

We are a nation obsessed with Class, Status, Money and Power

Manchester

Just Another Statistic

One of life's unfortunates that slipped through the net, It wasn't her fault she was just failed by the system

Manchester

What Went Well?

17.07.2016

Manchester

Food Banks

Food banks are the first thing to show signs of a recession because the less money people have the less, they give to food banks

Winchester

Levelling Up

Levelling up isn’t about getting everyone up to a decent standard of living it is political strap line and nothing more

Winchester

Blooming Lovely

My gardening skills are basic but the enjoyment and peace I get from it is priceless

Manchester

Hey Life!

I didn't know the rules or understand And I sit here full of shame Why did you make my life so terribly hard?

Manchester

My Mindset Dictates My Loneliness

For me loneliness is more of my state of mind rather than having people around me

Manchester

Omaze!

I got an email the other day inviting me to win a dream house for a tenner..

York

My Movie Role Today

I've just woken up, lived my dream through last night and I'm nervous what will the film be today...

York

What Went Right?

What went right? It’s such a simple question but quite difficult to answer.

Manchester

Support and Relationships

Support and relationships - these two words sum up how I finally emerged from my darkness that was homelessness and addiction after years of torment, desperation and shame.

York

Privilege/Class

I'm a white man, dad to two lads, reasonably state educated, quietly spoken former bank manager so I guess perception and society would see me as privileged.

York

A Label Called ‘LIVED EXPERIENCE’

I prefer, and this is only mine, to use the phrase 'direct experience’ - its more accurate and defined.

York

Recovery Gifts

I have people around me who understand my illness better, work with me on my behaviours, show me compassion when I still get things wrong, often, but they all say they're willing to continue because they see the effort and work I'm putting in to recover myself from darkness

York

Two Voices – Which One’s Right?

I live with two voices, one called 'temptation’, the other I refer to as 'magpie' and they both chat at every/any opportunity they get

York

My Health Impacted

My health, homelessness, and its physical impact on my body - wow there's a story I live with every day now.

York

What Went Well

I met Zoom people, in person today I have to say, was blown away

York

Two World’s Collide

The world of homelessness, rough sleeping, addiction, mental health, the world of harsh realities, personal experience, confrontation, belligerents, the fight to get your word over, indifference, uncompromising, directed, haphazard, anger, pragmatic, raw

Winchester

The Freedom to Speak

A normal journalist has seen it happen second hand but hasn’t felt it. We have been there and feel it and so that feeling is what makes our reports different from anything else. It’s what gives them their authenticity and impact. Sometimes you get the best people in the world talk about us, people with lived experience of homelessness, in a way that I call the third person syndrome.

Where to get your net

It’s worth looking about at the moment for deals. Some projects were launched during the pandemic. It’s disappointing that it took a pandemic for some people to realise that people experiencing homelessness were in crisis long before Covid came along and will remain in Crisis long after we have learnt to live with the virus.

Winchester

This aint no cost of living crisis…it’s just plain ole fashioned greed

As I'm writing these facts and figures down, I'm scrolling through reports trying to find anything positive or the slightest glimpse of hope for the near future but sadly nothing. This makes me feel anxious, sad and sick to my stomach its a very bleak time.

Food Banks at Breaking Point

Only the poorest and most vulnerable of us will suffer because of this...no change there then?

Stockport

Loneliness

Then in the same breath I can be the life and soul of the party, bursting with confidence and right in the centre of everything and the only thing that's changed is my mindset. For me the feeling of loneliness depends on how my mental health is.

Manchester

Finding Myself Once More

My volunteering opportunity with the Good Organisation allowed my creativity to come out and prosper

York

ISOLATED

Am I lonely, or am I sad My head keeps telling me I’m just bad

York

What is Home?

Everyone should have a home and feel safe and secure in it. We all deserve some love and happiness.

Stockport

Disconnection in the Age of Connectivity

I began to accept this new reality because I had become completely disconnected by this point. I had an extortionate pay as you go shitty ten quid burner phone that had the capacity to store no more than 10 40 word texts at a time. I had no access to the net by any means and the shame I felt at the situation I was in meant I stayed away from my real friends in the real world.

London

Laura talks to Mat Amp about the issues she faced during lockdown

Laura I think it is pretty much the same for everybody it's just trying to get all the operations done, getting on to the treatment, getting to go for all your assessments, so it's thrown up a lot of issues for everyone in the trans community but what people don't realise is that the longer someone initially waits for treatment it's causing other mental health issues.

Manchester

Make Them Aware

This is her Mental Health, her isolation, her anxiety, her loneliness, her worst nightmare.

Stockport

Loneliness, the scourge of the modern era. The Poem

Notice that person at a party or function, who's there in the crowd, but strangely on their own They may not be the anti-social but instead they may be shy and finding it difficult to initiate communication. Shyness feeds loneliness because it traps you on an island that seems to be drifting away from the mainland all the time.

Winchester

Loneliness, the scourge of the modern era.

I don't know about you, but some of the loneliest and most painful times I've had have been in a crowd. Yes, I have felt at my loneliest surrounded by a lot of people. As I said this is about getting people to think on the subject of loneliness and to talk about it.

Winchester

How I was treated as an alcoholic patient

Looking back at the way I was treated, I didn't have any concerns regarding the medical procedures I received but the way I was treated as a person was demoralising at times.

Manchester

Reported 2 years ago by Tess

What it Means to Survive

This year will be my ninth Survivaversary. In many respects it seems like a lifetime ago – especially with the last year factored in. But there is still something in me that can’t move on. Part of me that feels ashamed of what I did.

Manchester

Addiction is a Mental Illness

I’ve eventually learned that addiction is a recognised mental illness that thrives on isolation and it gripped me so much over the years, going undiagnosed by numerous referrals for help with my depression and anxiety. I hid behind drink.

York

Vulnerability

One person’s ego broke another’s soul and for what.

York

How not to crack?

Embrace and hold tightly onto those things that lessen the hurt deep inside you. I like to cook in my pyjamas and sing loudly to Teddy Pendergrass, and I remember what my son used to love and my tears fall in to the bowl and I stir them in because that's my love, and I cook with love and I am love. I am not what they did to me or wrote about me or labelled me. Please say this out loud. You are so loved.

London

Connection and Connectivity

Of course face-to-face connection and virtual connectivity are linked. Some people claim that the latter has destroyed the former by replacing it with an unreal and fake world, and that social media has subverted truth and exaggerated extremism, but surely this is just one negative in a sea of myriad impacts. For me the internet has been nothing but positive. I’ve got back in touch with old friends through social media and met a few new ones too.

London

Barriers

What if I had low battery or full battery but it had been used up after being on hold a hour and half? What if my phone was not a smart phone as I couldn't afford one? What if I don't have the technology skills to connect with this new online crap and to manage emails and sending attachments? And the most important one to me is what if I don't have the identification they needed e.g passport, birth certificate?

London

Vagrant in McDonald’s

Whilst dining in McDonald's I came across this sign: 'Beggars and vagrants are not permitted to enter the store'. I had to take a picture of it as I couldn't believe there is a sign excluding homeless people from eating or drinking in their restaurant. This was taken in Bethnal Green, London. Is this allowed?? What is their definition of a vagrant?

London

Getting Back to Life

And, you know, they've done a great job, rolled out the vaccine. Most people I know and myself included have been double jabbed and boostered. And I do think, I do think the restrictions should have been lifted a long, long time ago. And I think some of the restrictions have been absolutely pathetic and not made any sense, and I think that's that's why the public, you know it's enraged a lot of us, the stupidity of some of the restrictions.

Manchester

Dark and Light part 2

'Dark and Light' is probably the most potent and personal piece I've ever done. But the job is only half done, you still need to rebuild your life.

Winchester

On a raft at sea

Meanwhile the sun is shining on the boat while a cloud hangs over my head. Nobody is taking any notice of the fact it is always pissing rain on me whilst the sun is always shining on the ‘righteous’ on the boat because there is always the feeling that I deserve the cloud that is floating above my head. I deserve to be rained on.

Winchester

Tax avoidance – the hidden culprits

Three things – ‘power’, ‘money’ and ‘privilege’ sum up how to avoid tax.

York

Recovery in lockdown

This pandemic has left its mark on so many, has ripped through families and starved them of having closure for loved ones. On the other hand I have seen unsung heroes, endless acts of kindness and communities coming together.

Dark and Light

When it's dark, that is all there is. When the light shines, there is always shadows and crevices nurturing the dark.

Winchester

Connection and Stories

You see the thing, above all else, that makes us human are our words and the stories we fashion around them. We tell stories about who we are and we are the product of the stories we tell. We are our stories and they are what connect us all.

London

Facing Feelings

I just wanted to try something a bit reactive and I had a conversation with someone, let's put it that way this morning, and they encouraged me to try and do things differently, so this is me trying to do things differently.

Manchester

The system needs to trust advocates

One solution to this problem would be to allow the person in the support role to come in for part of the assessment. They could also offer advice and support to the person in the support role and get invaluable context to help with a diagnosis. The medical professional could provide the support worker with tips and coping mechanisms instead of just walking away in the opposite direction.

Winchester

Living with COVID plan: to heat, or not to eat, that is the question

What do I think about the transition from full restrictions to living with COVID-19 guidelines, and I'll try to sum it up with one word - awkward!

York

Mental Health, Addiction and Being Isolated

Two critical 'worlds' I've faced in the past few years - *isolation and addiction* - they walk hand-in-hand together into darkness and chaos in my experience.

York

Living with COVID Plan

The reality, I suspect for most people experiencing homelessness, is 'living with COVID' is what we've been doing all along.

London

Spreading yourself too thin – follow up

Winchester

Together we can make a difference

one voice in a deafening crowd gets lost within the maelstrom of noise

Winchester

Blogs Microreports

Our first face-to-face reporter meeting

I'm GG, Reporter for Listen up, nice to meet you. At the end of day we all said our final goodbyes, some heading to the tube, some staying in London overnight. I thanked everyone and said what a great day it had been. As I walked off with a spring in my step Charlie called out "you're fabulous". I said "you too".

London

A penny for your thoughts

I keep hearing about a cashless society but can you imagine if this actually happened? The pandemic pushed us more into cashless transactions. Most places insisted on card transactions only.

Manchester

I Can See Clearly Now

The optician compared new and old prescriptions and was totally baffled. He said the specs I'd been wearing weren't suitable for my eyesight and had no idea how or why this had happened.

Stockport

The need for physical connection

There are so many services that need to open up, get that physical help back out there. We are here to help and guide some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We can't do this remotely. It has to be face-to-face.

London

9 Days

I have nine working days left before I am back on the streets.

London

To Do List

I thought in this week's contribution, I would talk about my weekly to-do list, the to-do list that I have compiled this morning and that kind of reflects the legitimate problems of homelessness and health and living and trying to be creative and trying to be a human being.

London

I only worry about

@frogwitch @sadpeoplememes

London

Some of the many struggles of being a homeless woman

It is definitely harder being homeless as a women as there are not many female hostels about, especially for women with complex needs. This often means that the only option is to go into mixed hostels.

London

What does good health mean to me?

My life isn't perfect, but I have found that peace of mind and inner calm I've longed for. I have learned how to be positive even in the bleakest of times. I know what gratitude is, I have learned humility and I can empathise with others and be of help. Keeping physically, mentally and spiritually well is what 'good health' means to me.

Stockport

What is Homelessness

Was I deluded or ignorant? I honestly thought you had to live on the streets to be classed as homeless and anyone who had a roof over their head was ok.

Stockport

What is Homelessness

It's people's FEAR of being labelled, the shame, the guilt and it's quite simply hidden behind doors and masks.

York

Reported 2 years ago by Tess

What is Home?

There is a huge disconnect between versions of homeless(ness) and home. One person’s thoughts of what home looks, sounds, smells, feels like can be extremely different to another.

Stoke-on-Trent

Isolated

How do I feel at this present time. Anxious and nervous with no sense or rhyme.

York

Levelling Up by 2030: Tomorrow’s Chip Paper

What does the government statement about 'Levelling up by 2030' really mean to me......?

York

Reported 2 years ago by Anon 2

Connectivity

For the vast part of my recovery from alcohol addiction I have avoided parties, weddings, even funerals apart from paying my respects at the church service, throw football games into that mix and there you have my ideal recipe for my relapse back into addiction.

Birmingham

Ending Poverty is the Only “Levelling Up” Britain Needs Right Now

People who are working 12 - 16 hour days on three gig economy jobs still don't have enough money to get by. 17% of Britain's working population is in poverty

London

Reported 2 years ago by Anon 1

What I gain from this project

People with experience of homelessness are almost always inaccurately depicted throughout all media platforms. Stereotypes of homelessness are perpetuated in the media more than anything. News outlets, for one, too often take the humanity out of the information they provide.

London

‘what this project means to me’

Trust, power balance, building relationships, valuing capability, reflection, consistency, co-production and realising potential, have underpinned a project that has been transformative for reporters and has huge potential to kickstart change. Sheryle, a London based reporter says “This project has helped me with my confidence and with that process of getting back my sense of self-worth. This project gives you a voice, educates the public, drives policy changes and it makes me feel more that I’m a part of society.”

London

Finding Hope

I was very co-dependent in relationships in the past due to my fear of being on my own. I thought being in a relationship would make me feel safe and loved. Boy was I wrong! I kept making the same mistakes over and over again and never learning from them due to my fear of abandonment.

London

Volunteering, the Continuous Gift

Manchester

Health and Homelessness

It’s all about that four letter word…. H...E...L....P... HELP!

London

What this project has done for me, you know…

And, you know, words like therapeutic, stigma, professionalism, connection, identity, impact on policy and perceptions, skills, self-esteem came up. It's been amazing for me to talk to these reporters over the last few days. I know from personal experience just how much you can get from these projects.

London

Telling stories in an expressive way

This work here of telling stories and communicating in an expressive way is really huge because the system takes away your ability to be yourself. This project helps you find yourself and to recover from homelessness.

Croydon

Reported 2 years ago by Tess

Connection vs Loneliness

There was a time I was alone. I didn’t speak to anyone for months. Literally. Fast forward a few years and I was speaking to someone daily – be it in person, on the phone or via text/email. I was only lonely in one of those situations. The second one.

Stoke-on-Trent

This project

When we have been homeless we have this churning inside to help other people as soon as we are in recovery. We deal with that feeling by helping others with stuff.

Winchester

What this project has done for me

This project has helped me with my confidence and in that process has helped me to regain my sense of self worth.

London

This is me

Too many people who have been homeless in all its various forms have gone through various traumas and afterwards someone and some bureaucratic organisation told them to shut up and go away. Here I speak and write, you read and listen. To me, I am here, I came back, I'm speaking my words, and I exist.

London

Reported 2 years ago by Anne

Are You Receiving Me?

You’re sitting on a sleeping bag outside CostCutter - as was a young man I spoke to recently - in the cold, in the dark, it’s midwinter. Sick, scared and alone. What do you need? At the very least a phone. But is it enough? Are the services you require accessible, do they exist in a meaningful way?

London

Exclusion

I've been forced to think quite intently about all the things that I love that I'm being excluded from at present. And these are exclusions that possibly people don't really think about.

London

How stylish are we?

So dear listener as you hear me, think about all the ways that you are fabulous, sexy, cool and that you express yourself, whether it's red lipstick or a scarf or enjoying art or appreciating good food.

London

No Regrets

That experience has changed my mindset and the way I think about life. I am just happy now to have a roof over my head, bills paid and food on my table. That is all I really need. I’m not envious of others who have a big massive job. I’m happy with what I have got and who I am.

Manchester

The ear between time, creativity and bureaucracy.

Can't do both. I can't do both. So I have to decide, Well, am I going to get kicked out at February, which is the current plan, if I do nothing and the likelihood through bitter experience is that's exactly what will happen or do I focus all my attention on making something that makes me a human being?

London

Gordon is an Oxymoron

So my question is this, why do I resist something that I know is beneficial to my state of mental health? And when I say resist, I do so with such stubbornness that it causes me a sense of psychological pain that then metamorphosises into actual physical pain.

Manchester

The destructive power of hope

That fabulous line from John Cleese's Clockwise, really does wrap it up perfectly, where after trying valiantly to get to his destination on time and everything goes wrong, sat in a monk's habit on the side of the road he says: "It's not the despair, Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand".

Craving Connection

It’s so difficult to find services, to apply for stuff and get advice without a link to the net. Although many people moan about the negative impact of the net on social life, research is showing that social exclusion is exacerbated by digital exclusion, especially for people experiencing homelessness.

London

Spreading Yourself Thin

I think this needs to be highlighted, and people need to understand that when you have a person or people who want to give so much of themselves to help others they can spread themselves so thin they become ineffective.

Winchester

Disease and Addiction

A difficult time in hospital – TICK An absolute fear of death – TICK Separation from people – TICK Not knowing if I will wake up – TICK A significant change in outlook – TICK Total behavioral change – TICK A head full of trauma – TICK

London

Environmental

And I'm sitting in the Airbnb accommodation that Westminster Council are currently providing me with and threatened me constantly with eviction. And I can't help but think how bad this environment is compared to where I was when I was sleeping at Terminal Five in Heathrow Airport.

Reported 2 years ago by

London

How do we make a difference?

My question is: how can we make a difference to how society thinks and treats this massive problem, where do we start?

Manchester

‘Digital Poverty’

The DWP invest 3 million pounds a year just to check what people are tweeting about to see if it correlates with what they say their conditions are. This is an abhorrent state of affairs, but one that people need to be aware of

London

‘Faurma’ aka ‘Form Trauma’

I've recently been doing my PIP assessment, which was a horrendous amount of forms and I was successful. So that's really good news. And that's because I had support from Groundswell. Previously, I tried to do it and I...the whole experience was very traumatic, and I didn't even complete the application because the assessment was so horrible

London

A Homeless Human Man

And of course, she was right, there is no such thing as a homeless person, there are just people who happen not to have a home.

London

Trauma

Trauma is a strange bed fellow, scars deep, but still just a scar, hopefully fades with time and help, but take care not to reopen old wounds.

Winchester

Respect

Respect Some how, some people think, just because you've been homeless, you are not due the respect or common decency shown to everybody else.

Winchester

Passport to what? by Charlie

Vaccine passport - Do we need them? We carry a mobile phone with us everywhere. That gives them all the information they need to know about us, probably even our inside leg measurement. Maybe that's the problem with homeless people, they don't carry smartphones, can't be traced, off the grid.

Winchester

Not ‘me, me me’ but ‘us, us, us’ by Paul Atheron FRSA

The attitudes in Britain are 'me, me, me'. And what we need, what we need desperately is 'us, us, us'. We have to unite as a community, as a society again, if anyone is being genuine now about change.

London

The Vagrancy Act of 1866 – by Sheryle

My punishment was having to spend a night in the cells, then go to the magistrates court to appear in front of a judge, which for a seventeen young girl was scary. I felt like I shouldn't be there - bad people go to court for murder and rape offences - I was there for being homeless. It didn't make sense

London

Reported 2 years ago by Anne

‘Come round to my pad, I mean pod’ by Anne

Is something so small likely to be offered (or even desirable) permanently? I have very strong views against temporary housing. I see what it does to families here on Cressingham Gardens where fifty properties out of 300 are let on temporary contracts. I know the difficulty people have making plans.

London

‘We are not all born equal.’ – Paul Atherton FRSA on the Conservative party conference

That wasn't the worst bit. The worst bit was Sajid Javid saying, don't expect the state to do anything for you. Get on with it yourselves and expect your family and friends to pick up the bill. These people have no understanding of their role.

London

‘That’s all I was, I was only my problems. I was nothing else.’ by GG

Most homeless people - and even people like myself with lived experience of homelessness - have got quite a lot of different things going on at the same time. And the systems that are set up to help you, the bureaucracies, are very dehumanising.

‘The importance of creativity’ by Paul Atherton FRSA.

Tuesday, 3rd of August 2021, I have been asked to consider why creativity is so important to those experiencing homelessness. I should begin by saying this is a universal concept, people who experience homelessness are, by their very nature, in their ability to survive, creative.

London

‘Not only are they closing libraries by the back door, but they’re taking away the soul’ by GG

And homeless people and people with lived experience of homelessness and those who are recovering from trauma and those who are learning how to smile and live again and exist and be part of society and say, yeah, I'm here and I'm OK and I'm going to go to the library

‘Focusing on what works’ by Charlie

Look at these places where it is working and then bring it in to your areas, make it national. I wholly believe that some company, agency, government, whoever should actually go around and see all these projects are working all around the country and make a feasibility project of making it national

Winchester

‘The Consequences of Being Labelled a Dry Drunk’ by Sheryle.

"When I meet new people after successfully getting my daughter out of the care system I mention nothing about my past as I don't want to be a negative label and if I do have a label stamped on me, I'm hoping it says MOTHER"

London

‘Daily Picks Ups and the Raincoat of Fear’ Steve.

...if you don't get to that chemist on time, this is the downside to daily pick ups, you've had it.

Manchester

‘The importance of libraries as safe spaces for women’ by GG

Libraries are such an important part of our community and they are trying to close them by the back door

‘My Front Room’ Mat Amp.

And, you know, also this project, which is community journalism, has given me a purpose and something to do. And I'm a great believer in projects like this. And, you know, my life's just moved forward progressively year on year.

London

‘Why I volunteer’ Miles.

I love listening to people, their personality, their perspectives on things, their ideas on how things can be improved, developed and working with them to try and introduce those changes so vitally needed.

York

‘Emerging Writer’ Paul Atherton FRSA.

And at the same time, I discover all of my benefits, these are my disability benefits have once again been stopped. My employment support allowance was stopped last October. Various people have been involved in that, trying to get that sorted out,

London

‘The Positivity of Fellowship’ by Karen Minnis

But I just like to say it's really nice to have the opportunity to talk about something positive, something that works under any circumstances. And I think Covid, you know, proves that, you know, keeping sober and mentally and spiritually well during this pandemic is nothing more than a miracle, really.

Stockport

‘The Unresolved Anxiety of Phone Consultations’ by Steve

And then when you've been to the doctor and you come out and when I'm coming home and I walk through that door, I've achieved something

Manchester

‘The Anxieties over Vaccine Passports’ by Anon.

However, when it comes to a vaccine passport it is rather discriminatory against those who do not have it and in a way also to those who do.

Reported 2 years ago by

London

‘The Harsh Realities for Women Experiencing Homelessness’ by GG

It's really hard for women who've got experience of domestic violence to have the strength to speak up for their rights because if you're dealing with trauma you're always afraid that someone could turn aggressive

‘The Frustration of Making a Doctors Appointment’ by Karen Minnis.

So that was that, but the stress, you know, two days of stress just to get an appointment is absolutely... It's just unacceptable. It's giving people unnecessary stress, unnecessary negativity.

Stockport

Blogs Microreports

‘Isolation’ by Laura

My personal view on isolation is that it can be experienced in many different forms. That is one thing, but many people don't empathise with those who are forced into isolation by bullying from a family member, school 'buddies' or work mates. This is the type of insecure isolation where depression and mind set changes, often for the worse.

Manchester

‘Born with the ‘wrong’ body’ by Laura

Waking up to the wrong things in place of the parts I am wanting to be there, even after a great night’s sleep, where you don’t have to see or know that you are the wrong gender. Waking up in the morning seeing and knowing that is the most painful thing to have to go through, then looking in the mirror seeing that the you that is there is not the you that you should be.

Manchester

‘Just Maybe’ by Charlie

Well here we are. The end of the pandemic is in sight (hopefully). So back to the epidemic of our own making, so it can progress at a faster pace. LONELINESS.

Winchester

‘Experts by Experience in the Creative Realm’ by Paul Atherton FRSA

A couple of weeks ago, Museum of Homelessness brought me to my attention that somebody had posted 'has anyone had lived experience of renting in Peckham'. You don't need to put the words lived experience people...all you need to do is write 'Have you ever rented in Peckham?' And this is the world we've got now.

London

A big welcome to Sheryle who has just joined the project.

‘What community reporting is all about’ by Sheryle.

We all have challenges we go through in life and my own personal theory is we are always learning no matter how old we are ! I have got so much out of this project so far and really hope to blossom and learn as much as I can whilst involved . I am excited to finally have a VOICE. - one that I've never before thought I would have the opportunity to share.

London

‘Women are not hidden homeless, they are just not seen’ by Sheryle

Many services are run generically and cater to men and do not have the specific resources to help women who have experienced certain kinds of trauma. Women who are hiding from perpetrators often fear using these services for fear of being targeted for sexual abuse and prostitution.

London

Reported 3 years ago by Sheryle

The experience of homelessness for women by Sheryle

Women are often stuck in limbo like I was. It is frustrating. Women lose their homes and their possessions when going to prison and are consequently released homeless, with housing benefit stopped if their sentence is in excess of 12 weeks). As a result their 'local connection' can be lost

London

Video Stories

The footsteps of the past by Anon.

I’m trying to recreate what it was like when I was at the night shelter. I’m going to now be living very close [to here] in a relatively nice home. However I used to be homeless. I used to be homeless and sleep at night in night shelters, every night a different church, a different place

Reported 3 years ago by Anon 1

London

Reported 3 years ago by Sheryle

When swabs for drug testing go wrong by Sheryle.

I wanted to share this personal experience of mine to explain what happens and how a positive drug result can impact your life massively - the consequences it brings and then having to prove your positive result was wrong .

London

Riddled with happiness by Steve…

I have avoided responsibility since the dawn of time. That is why I was so comfortable being homeless, going begging, being a fully fledged time served OBE drug addict.

Manchester

Miles shares his recovery sanctuary.

Gratitude is a small word with huge impact for me. I could never imagine how much I appreciate being here. So, excitedly I'll pop my head on the pillow tonight and be grateful for what today brought and sleep well for another day.

York

Steve faces the anxiety of his six month review.

I'm just fascinated by the dark energy that I so often succumb to thinking about. Yeah, I wonder what that fucking is. I wonder if I start to create positive scenarios, change the linguistic programming into a positive vocabulary, that'd be a good starting point.

Manchester

‘Your Normal’s Not Normal’ by Paul Atherton FRSA

The thing that scares me, the worst of it all Is you believe money is real, not a concept to fall. That your success, whatever that means, Was achieved by hard work & not luck, mate, you live in a dream. Your a bit of a F...

London

Reported 3 years ago by Claire

Claire finds a friend close to home…

So this whole Covid thing's been a lonely time for everyone, and for some reason, instead of keeping up the contact with my friends more than I did when I was busy, I've kind of let it slide. And I discovered a brand new friend in Alexa.

Newcastle upon Tyne

‘The door is open…why can’t I walk through it’ by Charlie.

After more than a year in forced incarceration or lockdown, the shackles are off - or are they?

Winchester

Hopes and Fears by Miles

Today, I’m sat with over two years recovery, volunteering as I can, rebuilding relationships destroyed by my illness, appreciation of precious possessions, mostly pictures, not many, but so important to my state of mind.

York

Why Report? by Charlie.

I've been asked why I do this. It gives me an outlet and the hope that my voice can be heard . I go round and see so many things that are wrong. Before, all I could do was vent my anger to the wind. Now this gives me a platform, where hopefully something I say, can make a difference.

Winchester

Reported 3 years ago by Sheryle

Sheryl talks about her work with ‘Tricky Period’

I started volunteering with Tricky Period around one year ago after experiencing street homelessness as a female and I wanted to help others who have found themselves in a similar situation.

London

A heartfelt response to Steve by Dan Bleksley

Part of that fear of failure, cruelly enough, is of allowing others to see how scared you really are. If you’ve never slept rough, shot heroin, never had a support worker, you’re supposed to be able to look after yourself, to bear the responsibility of a job. We hide fear behind smart clothes and LinkedIn profiles. And that’s not helpful to anyone

Reported 3 years ago by Anon 1

A new home in an old space by Anon.

When you finally succeed in a bid for council accommodation it’s a happy moment, but you never know what you’ve actually got, and what problems will arise. However, sometimes you may be pleasantly surprised.

London

Environment by Paul Atherton FRSA

And one of the most important steps of the day is getting to the bathroom, brushing your teeth, and then the next step is a shower. If the shower is a problem, it will knock you off your perch. They're little things, they're inconsequential things or can be to other people, but to chronic fatigue sufferers they are sometimes insurmountable.

London

Disease and Addiction by Miles.

Do I fear catching Covid 19? Naturally I do, as well as what it might bring. Do I fear my addiction is waiting to pounce and convince me to willingly partake of its pleasures once again.

York

Lockdown lifting… by Miles

I’ll be conscious to maintain my learning from these exceptional times and circumstances and live a truer life a truer life closer to my values and beliefs

A picture is worth a thousand words.

London

‘A Big Move’ by Paul Atherton FRSA

And this is the problem all the time, people do not see things holistically, it's just, oh, we'll get him into some accommodation somewhere. It doesn't matter where, he'll be grateful. I'm not grateful. I'm not grateful for having something that I should have had 12 years ago.

London

Paul talks about his creative contribution to society.

London

Reported 3 years ago by Anne

Mat Amp talks about the impact of this project

Last week, we got Olivia Butterworth to come in and talk to reporters and tell them exactly what happens to their reports, you know, how they land on her desk, how she disseminates that information and how it gets fed back into the way everyone works. One of the quotes she made was 'you are being heard and you are being heard in an authentic way.'

London

Steve wrestles with responsibility

Now, I should step up to the mark, it might sound silly, but to take the gamble of coming off benefits to remove that safety net and then stare into the abyss with no safety net. It'd daunting beyond belief for me anyway. It really is.

Manchester

Relapses are part of recovery by Charlie.

There are going to be lapses and you've got to take that into account, where they're going to get knocked back. But the one thing I guarantee you, if you carry on working with them and please carry on working with them, if you carry on working with them those lapses will grow in distance, they will grow from say a couple of weeks into months.

Winchester

Just cuz yer in a clean house, don’t mean you should be spotless by Charlie…

...that's what I'm saying. The lapses should be part and parcel of a clean house, You're supposed to expect it. So, that's why I say it is important to have trained staff, specifically trained staff in the houses so they can go through the detox again.

Winchester

Fellowship meetings f2f v remote by Miles

In my fellowship, we’re arranging for dual connection around meetings – f2f together with a zoom live link. Will that work, attract people who shielded previously, bring in new family members or will my newer family members find it scary to do f2f as they’ve grown up exclusively online?

York

‘The feelings of isolation and loneliness after moving into our dream home’ Anon

London

Storage Blues by Paul Atherton FRSA

London

Get Serious by Paul Atherton FRSA

London

The Cyrus Virus by Miles

York

‘Let’s be proud and look after each other’ by Laura Ashcroft.

Manchester

Charlie talks isolation [part one]

Winchester

What are isolation and loneliness? asks Steve…

Salford

Charlie on the importance of Wifi

Winchester

The importance of cats in my life : Anon

London

My healthcare experience during and before Covid : Anon

London

Charlie talks about the bridge provided by peer mentoring…

Winchester

Miles on the hope that this spring brings…

York

Claire writes about why she took the vaccine.

Newcastle upon Tyne

‘Getting to the heart of it’ Lee Foxhall talks to the Pavement’s Giselle Green.

Wednesbury

Paul Atherton FRSA – ‘Getting to see the doc…or not’

London

The Twisted Reward System by Steve

Steve talks about the difficulty with making change stick and the pull of addiction. His experience is the reason he has his job but it is also the thing that could trip him up. This is the struggle that all addicts face every second of every day 'it's exhausting'.

Manchester

Reported 3 years ago by Anne

What, I wonder, happened to Everyone In? by Anne Enith Cooper.

The launch of Everyone In was ambitious and compassionate. The old saying goes, “If it’s working don’t fix it.” I say, if it’s working don’t scrap it and why at this time when COVID-19 cases and deaths far exceed those at the peek of the March to May 2020 lockdown has it not been reinstated? I’d say, bring it back better.

London

‘With dual diagnosis, they seem to have it arse about face.’ By Charlie Radbourne.

NHS/mental health services, say you have to sort out the addiction problem, before they can sort out the mental health problem. Strange, but I thought, by its own definition, addiction, is a mental health problem. Most addiction root causes, are from a mental health problem. So you can't fix the addiction first, without fixing the mental health problem.

Winchester

Do people trust the vaccine? My opinion by Anon

London

The assessment cycle and triggers by Paul Atherton FRSA

London

Sleeping rough during Covid-19 and beyond: a public health emergency? Paul Atherton FRSA features in new King’s Fund podcast

London

Reported 3 years ago by Claire

“It just shows that people don’t actually need to be out on the streets” Claire on #EveryoneIn

It's a brilliant idea. It just shows, I don't know, it just shows that people don't actually need to be out on the streets, or certainly not so many anyway. And it's just, if anything, it's quite pitiful that it's took this pandemic right now, all these people are so poorly, to them to take this into consideration

Newcastle upon Tyne

Reported 3 years ago by Lee

“I was so confused, getting down, depressed, worried. ” Lee on waiting for his heart operation.

This has just been going on and on and I wasn't hearing anything. One consultant after another, from different hospitals, no information was being shared between them. So again I was so confused, getting down, depressed, worried.

Wednesbury

#EveryoneIn 2…? Paul Atherton FRSA responds to Robert Jenrick’s statement

London