Eliz Hopkins

Art Exhibition To Celebrate Recovery

The Good Shepherd is delighted to be staging another exhibition championing the power of art and community as a tool to help people through Recovery. Exhibition at the NAC ‘Recovery is for Everyone’ will run at Newhampton Arts Centre from 13-26 September, during Recovery Month, featuring the varied work of people undergoing recovery from addiction, […]

Supporting Solihull’s Homeless: How You Can Help

Imagine being stuck on someone’s sofa for ages, or maybe bouncing from friend to friend’s house, never having a proper place to call your own. That’s what homelessness can be like, not just sleeping rough on the streets. Since the 1990s, SCAH (Solihull Churches Action on Homelessness) has been a total lifesaver for people in […]

Postcards from the streets: the new campaign supporting Birmingham’s most vulnerable people

It’s a sad truth that while Christmas often inspires acts of kindness towards vulnerable people, the same cannot always be said for the months when the weather is warmer. But SIFA Fireside, the Birmingham support service for those experiencing homelessness, is making sure that the solution to this problem is in the post. They have […]

St Basils Pop Up Shop Launches in Birmingham

Last month on 22 April 2024, the charity St Basils, which helps young people between 16 – 25 who are experiencing homelessness, opened its first-ever pop-up vintage shop in the Great Western Arcade, Birmingham, all thanks to a big donation from the Arcade itself. They are selling some cool vintage clothes, sports gear, and trainers. […]

200 Years On – the Vagrancy Act and the Criminal Justice Bill

On Tuesday 12 March the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness (APPGEH) held a meeting in Parliament to discuss the impact of the current draft of the government’s proposed Criminal Justice Bill.  At the meeting, chaired by MPs, Bob Blackman and Paula Barker, were a panel of experts including people from local authorities and people […]

Exercise your right to vote in the West Midlands.

On 2 May 2024, people across the West Midlands are being invited to vote in the polls to elect A Mayor for the West Midlands Combined Authority A Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands  Councillors within local authority areas of, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.  (In Selly Oak and Bournbrook in […]

New One-stop youth hub opens in Coventry

St Basils Youth Hub in Birmingham came into being as a response to the growing concern over youth homelessness in the city. Recognising the need for a dedicated service that could not only provide immediate shelter but also address the root causes of homelessness among young people, local authorities and charitable organisations came together to […]

Fairer Futures funds end of life training

Talking about end-of-life care with someone experiencing homelessness is important for several reasons.  Firstly, like anyone else, individuals experiencing homelessness have the right to make informed decisions about their end-of-life care, yet they might not have easy access to the information or support needed to make these decisions. By discussing end-of-life care, we ensure their […]

Wolverhampton: Drop in number of rough sleepers on city’s streets

Wolverhampton has witnessed a significant reduction in its rough sleeper population, achieving one of its lowest levels ever as part of a concerted effort to ensure that no one is forced to spend the night outside or endure hunger within the city. The city council adopts a comprehensive, multi-agency strategy that has been effective in […]