Across the region, people continue to show deep compassion for those facing homelessness. Every day, residents stop to ask how they can help, and many want to make sure their kindness leads to real, lasting change. In a recent article, Rough Sleeping: Ways to Help, we explored why focusing our help safely and in coordination […]
A joint article from Street Support West Midlands and StreetLink If you have ever walked through town late at night and seen someone settling down on a cold pavement, you will know the feeling that follows. A mix of sadness, concern and the question of what you can realistically do to help. One practical action […]
It’s not always easy to know how to help when someone is facing homelessness. Across the West Midlands, more than 300 organisations are working every day to prevent people from losing their homes, to support those who are already without one, and to make sure no one has to experience homelessness again. Their work follows […]
Across the West Midlands there has been steady, thoughtful work to strengthen the way organisations come together to prevent and relieve homelessness. Many people will already have heard of the Commitment to Collaborate toolkit, often called C2C. It was created by the WMCA Homelessness Taskforce with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, and it was refreshed in […]
At the Refugee and Migrant Centre (RMC) in Wolverhampton and Walsall, a new initiative has been making a meaningful difference for older people who arrived in the UK seeking safety and belonging. The “Boosting Advice” project, funded by Independent Age, supports refugees and migrants aged 65 and over by helping them maximise their income, live […]
Your compassion matters Across the West Midlands, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Homelessness Taskforce is bringing partners together to design out homelessness by focusing on prevention at every stage. This work follows the Positive Pathway model, which offers a simple way to see how support fits together. The Pathway starts with universal prevention, which […]
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 […]
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