The national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We help individuals out of homelessness, and campaign for the changes needed to solve it altogether.
Sleeping on the streets is NOT a lifestyle choice. We don’t have nearly enough affordable homes, rents are soaring and this is leaving people destitute and forced to sleep rough.
This is a consequence of poverty. And poverty in this country has been exacerbated by policy choices
The British people are compassionate. We will always support those who are genuinely homeless. But we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice. 1/4
Sleeping on the streets is not a lifestyle choice. We don’t have nearly enough affordable homes & rents are soaring, leaving people destitute and forced to sleep rough. [🧵1/4]
(1/5) Snow is falling across the country, leaving thousands of rough sleepers exposed to freezing temperatures. If you see a rough sleeper today there's plenty you can do...
Today we launch 12 Nights, our new film underlining the brutal reality for many experiencing homelessness this Christmas. Please watch, like and share.
Thank you Chris Martin,
@dinaashersmith
,
@elliegoulding
, Emma Thompson,
@TherealNihal
&
@PoulterWill
▶️
Six months ago Housing Secretary
@RobertJenrick
told Parliament that the 200-year old Vagrancy Act should be repealed. However it's still being used to penalise people experiencing homelessness. Today we're joining with MPs to tell Govt to
#ScrapTheAct
This Bill would criminalise and dehumanise those of us that have been failed by a system that should keep all of us safe.
The Bill is being debated in the UK Parliament right now. Together, we can stop these plans – but we need MPs to speak out against it.
Today, energy costs are set to rise by up to 54%. With rising rents and insufficient housing benefit, people are at risk of homelessness as they're left with no option but to go without heating or fall behind on rent.
Please share. We need the UK Government to take action now 👇
Big news! Fancy seeing
@coldplay
at Wembley on 16 August? You can! Enter our prize draw now for the chance to win two tickets, AND meet the band before the show 😱
Entries £10 - each entry will support our work to end homelessness:
We're so glad Prince Harry & Megan Markle chose us to benefit from donations marking today's
#RoyalWedding
Best wishes to them! Funds raised will help us support homeless people into suitable housing, training courses, with mental health support, as well as campaigning for change
Please email your MP asking them to help stop these cruel and unnecessary plans - it only takes a couple of minutes and we've created a template for you:
We all deserve a safe, stable place to live. But we’re not protecting this basic human need for 236,000 people across Great Britain. This
#WorldHomelessDay
, join our Everybody In campaign and stand against homelessness. Are you in?
#EndHomelessness
Our
#SupporterStar
this week is the phenomenal
@PeterMarsh_PMC
who has been fundraising for Crisis for over a decade! This year Peter is running the Oxford Half as part of team Crisis, and we couldn't be more honoured that he's chosen to support us again:
We loved meeting fans at the Coldplay concerts in London and Glasgow over the last few weeks.
It was a great opportunity to chat to fans about our mission to
#EndHomelessness
– and take some amazing photos in the process! Huge thanks to
@coldplay
for making this possible.
❗️Breaking news❗️The Government has announced new funding and a redoubling of efforts to safely accommodate rough sleepers during this lockdown. People sleeping rough will also be helped to register with a GP if needed so they can access the vaccines.
Henry was working in a warehouse when covid broke out. Suddenly he had no work and he couldn't keep up with his rent. He was forced into homelessness during the pandemic, and had to start sleeping on the street.
Meet Henry [A THREAD]
Latest criminal justice statistics show that 10 people a week are prosecuted under the 1824 Vagrancy Act. What kind of a society punishes people for not being able to afford a home???
#ScrapTheAct
***BREAKING NEWS ****
📣 The Government has written to local authorities asking them to house everyone sleeping rough or in hostels and night shelters, by the weekend. But we must make sure people aren't back on the street when this is all over
More info:
Lloyd was forced to sleep rough last December during the pandemic. Sleeping rough is incredibly dangerous, but in winter when temperatures drop it's even worse. Luckily, Lloyd was referred to a Crisis centre.
Meet Lloyd [A THREAD]
We all deserve a safe, stable place to live. But we’re not protecting this basic human need for 236,000 people in Britain.
It doesn’t need to be like this. We know homelessness can be ended. Find out how:
#EndHomelessness
From being forced to sleep rough to working for
@crisis_uk
. Read Kevin's incredible, inspiring journey in Together, our Crisis Magazine:
Thank you for helping people like Kevin turn their lives around. It would not be possible without your support.
No one should be homeless and alone this Christmas. It really is just that simple. Do you agree?
#CrisisAtChristmas
makes a real and lasting difference. You're helping to changes lives. If you can, please show your support:
Support
#CrisisAtChristmas
this year and you can help to change someone's life:
Em was forced to sleep in a leaking van during the pandemic after being pushed into homelessness. Em heard about Crisis at Christmas, here's what happened next...
After arriving back in England after her father died, Em was told she didn't qualify for benefits as she had been out of the country for too long. She was forced to sleep on buses to stay warm and safe.
Meet Em [A THREAD]
At Crisis, we know a future without homelessness is possible if we work together.
That's why we're proud to be working with the Prince of Wales on his new programme
@HomewardsUK
.
#Homewards
Today we are launching
#Homewards
, a five-year programme committed to demonstrating that it's possible to end homelessness in the UK.
Having a home is more than just bricks and mortar. What does home mean to you?
Today the
#HomelessnessReductionAct
comes into force. The Act places new legal duties on English councils so that everyone who is homeless or at risk of homelessness will have access to meaningful help. Thank you to all campaigners, charities and MPs who made it happen!
Denying people access to housing is inhumane.
It seems trying to turn us against each other is easier than providing the social housing we as a country desperately need.
Let's build more social housing, not more division.
‘Let’s make homelessness No.1 this Christmas.’ Thank you
@jeremycorbyn
for backing Streets of London by
@Ralph_McTell
the Crisis Choir and
@AnnieLennox
. Join him and thousands of others who’ve bought the single in support of homeless people this Christmas:
It's amazing what can be accomplished when people come together. MASSIVE thanks to
@BTSUKUNITE
. To honor BTS's anniversary they raised £350 & ran a poll allowing fans to chose a charity for the donation. They're also encouraging fans to donate to Crisis directly. Thank you ALL!💕
For our Lucky 7s Charity Pin Project, we've now made a donation of £350 to Crisis UK (as decided by poll)! 💜
Thank you to all those that have supported this project so far for BTS's 7th anniversary!
Every Christmas, at the harshest time of year, we provide people experiencing homelessness with food, advice and help with a place to stay. This year will be no different. Do you believe that no one should be homeless and alone?
Support
#CrisisAtChristmas
To everyone who supported
#CrisisAtChristmas
last year – whether you donated, fundraised or volunteered – we wanted to say the biggest thank you.
Here’s just a glimpse at the incredible difference you made…
Homelessness is unacceptable in our society. At Christmas, or any time of year. Do you agree?
Your support this Christmas can help someone to change their life and leave homelessness behind:
Here's Lloyd's story…
#CrisisAtChristmas
Crisis is honoured to be one of seven charities that will benefit from donations marking the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
To find out how you can support Crisis visit:
#RoyalWedding
#harryandmeghan
@KensingtonRoyal
WE DID IT! It appears that the government has listened to all of us and the proposals to criminalise the use of tents by people sleeping rough did not feature in the
#KingsSpeech
.
Last year, Henry became homeless during the height of the pandemic and was forced on to sleep on the streets. Arriving at
#CrisisAtChristmas
turned his life around.
Change someone's life this year. There are thousands of people who need your support:
No one should be homeless. Not at Christmas. Not ever. Our new film 12 Nights, featuring the voice of Crisis ambassador
@elliegoulding
among others, shines a light on the thousands experiencing homelessness this winter.
Please, watch and share the film ▶️
This Christmas, at least 200,000 people are expected to be experiencing the worst forms of homelessness. Our 12 Nights film, featuring famous voices including
@dinaashersmith
, shines a light on what this reality is like.
Please, watch, like and share ▶️
4/4 People sleeping rough often face violence & abuse. The impact on their physical and mental health is significant. The average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is just 45 for men and 43 for women. This is not a life people choose.
Fundraising, campaigning, raising awareness. The Birch awards celebrate young people dedicated to ending homelessness. Do you know about a young person or group making a difference to the lives of people experiencing homelessness. Tell us about them!
With just days until Christmas, we're working round the clock to adapt to the Covid situation. We're determined to help as many as possible safely, offering warm food, clothing and advice.
We'll be there, whatever it takes. Support
#CrisisAtChristmas
:
Here's a lovely Christmas tale. When
@PaulaBarkerMP
visited our warehouse recently she learned we were having trouble getting snacks for our guests. She thoughtfully tweeted
@GaryLineker
who kindly asked
@walkers_crisps
. And here's the result: 150 boxes of crisps! Thank you ALL❤️
We believe that no one should be homeless and alone this Christmas. Do you feel the same?
Supporting
#CrisisAtChristmas
can change someone's life - find out how:
With your help, last Christmas and throughout the year we provided life-changing support to people experiencing homelessness.
Please, as things become more and more uncertain, help us be there for the people who need us this year:
Our
#SupporterStar
💫 this week is 8-year-old Martha. When her headmaster asked pupils to think of a 'H.U.G.G.' (huge unbelievable great goal), Martha suggested ending homelessness. She inspired her whole school to support Crisis through a fundraiser and raised over £1,000!
@joelycett
@SuellaBraverman
Thank you so much Joe & an even bigger thanks to everyone who supported this. Knowing that so many people care & can come together to help others will give a huge boost to those we support, many of whom are more used to being victimised or ignored.🫂 Thank you all!!💕❤️
People experiencing homelessness can be among the hardest to reach. With concerns about Omicron rising, we're planning to offer Covid and flu vaccinations to
#CrisisAtChristmas
guests who'd like them and are eligible.
Help us support people this Christmas
On
#RandomActsofKindnessDay
we're celebrating 5-year old Zac Mutete. Aged 3 he learned that people were living on the street because they didn’t have a home & began fundraising to help them. Last Christmas he inspired his community to raise over £700!
Today marks the first year of
#Homewards
, Prince William's 5 year plan to show how communities can work together to
#EndHomelessness
. We're a partner in this scheme &
@matthew_downie
joined the Prince in Lambeth today to visit one of the flagship programs
Snow: good for sledging, not for sleeping. Reserve a place for a homeless person at
#CrisisXmas
and bring someone in from the cold this Christmas:
#snowday
#SnowWatch
#Snow
For people leaving prison, there are still huge gaps in the support available. For James, Crisis was able to help.
Catch up with his incredible story in Together, the Crisis Magazine:
This
#WorldHomelessDay
, please - join our
#HomeForAll
campaign. Add your name to a letter to
@RishiSunak
calling for urgent funding for Housing First:
It's simple👉 Housing First helps people out of homelessness. It saves the Government money. It works.
Change someone's life this Christmas. Henry was working in a warehouse when Covid hit. Unable to pay rent, his worst fear was realised and he was forced to sleep on the streets. Then he was referred to
#CrisisAtChristmas
.
Help change more lives this year:
3/4 It’s also down to stretched mental health services, as many people sleeping rough will have experienced trauma, often in early childhood, and are struggling to get the support they need.
2/4 In the last 12 months, in London, there’s been a 29% increase in people experiencing their first night on the streets. This is a consequence of poverty - and poverty in this country has been exacerbated by policy choices.
Jonathan was forced to sleep in his car after his marriage ended and he lost his job in the pandemic. After coming to Crisis, we helped him get back on his feet.
Please help us provide people with the building blocks to leave homelessness behind for good:
Tonight will be the longest night of the year. It'll be dark for 16 hours. No one should be homeless and alone, tonight or any other night. By supporting
#CrisisAtChristmas
you can help someone to leave homelessness behind:
This is Lloyd's story...
We were totally bowled over last night by the heroic efforts of
@MoTheComedian
. Refusing to be stopped by a last minute technical hitch he switched his TV show to Instagram & raised over £1,000 for Crisis which he is matching with his own donation
#Legend
!
After an uncertain few years, people are more excited than ever to share Christmas traditions together. For the thousands experiencing homelessness though, they could be gearing up to spend Christmas alone.
This is Em's story. Support
#CrisisAtChritmas
:
We know that ending homelessness, both this Christmas and beyond, is possible together.
Join us. Your support could change someone's life. Support
#CrisisAtChristmas
today:
Crisis has worked closely with HSBC branches to secure accounts for our clients, and the results can be life changing. Over 100 branches now offer this service. A bank account is a vital step on people's route out of homelesness.
Our brand new film, Twelve Nights, underlines the very real and devastating experiences of people facing homelessness this winter. No one should be homeless. Now, or ever. Thank you to
@poulterwill
for lending his voice to the film. Please watch and share:
‘When people come together, and show love for each other, amazing things can happen’.
While lockdown has been challenging, we’ve seen some incredible acts of selflessness and community spirit. Our members and team share some of the amazing things that have happened.
#HomeForAll
Owen and Carol are just two of the people we've been able to help during
#lockdown
thanks to the support of our fundraisers, volunteers and campaigners. But now lockdown is easing and more people are facing homelessness. We need your help more than ever
Our Christmas services are open! To everyone who's supported
#CrisisAtChristmas
so far, we want to say a heartfelt thank you. You're helping people stay safe this Christmas. You're helping to make a life-changing difference.
There's still time to support:
Together, we have supported people who are homeless throughout the outbreak. We have helped people like Jana with both immediate and longer-term help so they can rebuild their lives. ❤️
Read the full story at:
(5/5) Finally, one of the most important things you can do is simply stop and talk to someone. Rough sleeping can be an isolating, devastating experience – a shared word could make all the difference. For further advice visit:
🚨 BREAKING NEWS!
Westminster has confirmed that it will repeal the 1824 Vagrancy Act which criminalises rough sleeping & begging in England & Wales.
To every person who lobbied their MP, every Peer & MP who backed the repeal - THANK YOU!
#ScrapTheAct
This
#GivingTuesday
, make a lasting difference. As the pandemic continues to develop, it's more important than ever to help people to take the crucial first step out of homelessness.
Please support
#CrisisAtChristmas
today:
Thank you 🙌
We’re joining forces with
@LBGplc
to tackle the shortage of homes in the UK. Together, we’ll call for one million new social homes in the next decade and launch a new not-for-profit lettings agency with
@HomesForGood
. Learn more about the partnership:
Following the network outage on Dec 6, we gave our members affected the opportunity to choose airtime credit or donate to charity from our goodwill fund. We’ve listened & are donating £387,039.70 to the charity
@crisis_uk
& £612,960.30 will be split between our members who voted
🔔 BREAKING NEWS 🔔
The Government has just announced that the
#DABill
will be amended to guarantee
#ASafeHome
to people fleeing
#DomesticAbuse
. A huge thanks and congratulations to everyone who has helped with our campaign; this news will change lives.
Our new film, Twelve Nights, depicts the stark reality for the hundreds of thousands of people who will be facing the worst forms of homelessness this Christmas.
Watch, like and share. Show your support for
#CrisisAtChristmas
:
300,000 households could be forced into homelessness next year if nothing changes.
Alex, our life-like, giant sculpture, stands as a rallying cry that we cannot ignore this issue any longer.
Please share if you agree.
#CantBeIgnored
Over lockdown, together we’ve shown that ending homelessness is within our reach. Today, we launch
#HomeForAll
– a marker of what we must achieve and a rallying cry to mobilise behind.
Join us in making this the beginning of the end of homelessness:
We know that, with the right political & social will, society can
#EndHomelessness
for good so it was great to hear Prince William talking about his plans to build more social housing in the Duchy of Cornwall & how he wants help end homelessness in the UK.