Latest official figures show a startling rise in people sleeping rough in London. In July September alone, 3,628 people were found to be rough sleeping, an increase of 24% on the same period last year. This increase shows 1,844 of these people, or 51%, sleeping rough for the very first time, suggesting the cost of living crisis is increasing homelessness rapidly.

This Winter, our Outreach Teams are anticipating seeing an even bigger increase in the upcoming months and are preparing to ensure people sleeping rough across South West London receive support and vital goods this Christmas.

The Outreach teams encounter people on their first steps from homelessness to independence - providing pathways and support to assist them off the streets. Working early mornings and late evenings, they provide essentials items to people who find themselves rough sleeping. SPEAR then works with them on a housing pathway, and assists them into various support services, tailored to the challenges the