Liam Byrne
Brummies Against Homelessness St Basil's Big Sleep Out 2019
Fundraising for St Basils
Story
Labour councils and councillors are making heroic efforts to tackle homelessness. But austerity means rough sleeping in the West Midlands has more than tripled between 2010 and 2018 - with a rise of nine- fold in Birmingham and a six-fold rise in Sandwell.
Behind the headlines is the scandal of hidden homelessness. The number of West Midlands homeless children in temporary accommodation has almost tripled since the start of 2013; in Coventry, it’s risen nearly seven fold.
St Basil's is a fantastic cause. They house over 1000 young people in Birmingham and over 1500 across the West Midlands in their 34 supported accommodation schemes, plus they help thousands more young people with face to face support and advice, but due to central government cuts these services are at risk. St Basil's have to raise £1.2 million this year. BIG Brum SleepOut is their largest event of the year. They are hoping to make it bigger and better than ever to help reach this target and ensure their vital services can continue into the future.