Streetwise Opera has launched “Opera Pioneers” Streetwise Opera is a UK-based performing arts charity founded in 2002. Its mission is to inspire and empower people who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness. They do this through co-creative opera workshops in homelessness centres and major arts venues, public performances where participants perform alongside professional artists, and […]
A new resource launched by Birmingham City Council and Spring Housing Association this month is shining a long-overdue light on the vital issue of how people experiencing homelessness are impacted by period poverty, and what frontline organisations can do to support them with dignity. The Period Literacy Toolkit, authored by Thea Raisbeck, Head of Research […]
Stop Loan Sharks Week 2025 runs from 19–25 May, and this year’s theme, “We’re here whenever you’re ready”, emphasises a compassionate, non-judgemental approach to supporting individuals affected by illegal money lending. In the West Midlands, as in many regions, people facing financial hardship or at risk of homelessness are particularly vulnerable to illegal lenders. Loan […]
A Visit to the West Midlands Multibank: One Month On and Already Making an Impact In April 2025, I had the opportunity to visit the West Midlands Multibank, a new initiative managed by Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC). It had been open just a month, and I was eager to see how it was taking […]
What is the Household Support Fund (HSF)? The Household Support Fund (HSF) is a fantastic initiative aimed at helping people who are struggling with housing-related costs. Whether it’s rent, utility bills, or essential household items, the HSF is here to provide a helping hand. It’s managed by local councils within the West Midlands Combined Authority […]
There cannot be many people in the UK who have never seen or heard of the Big Issue. Maybe you have seen one of the thousands of vendors selling the latest issue on high streets up and down the UK; maybe you have purchased one, or have a subscription. Founded in 1991, the Big Issue […]
Transform Lives: Become a Home-2-Home Host with St Basils St Basils, a leading charity dedicated to reducing youth homelessness, is calling on individuals with a spare room and a caring heart to join our Home-2-Home Supported Lodgings scheme. This transformative program places young people aged 16-18 (occasionally older) who have experienced family breakdowns into the […]
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 […]
Have you ever heard of loan sharks or illegal money lending? Being a victim of illegal money lending, such as borrowing from loan sharks, can put you at risk of homelessness. When people struggle to repay the high interest rates and fees charged by loan sharks, they may find themselves trapped in a cycle of […]
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 […]
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