How You Can Help

The best thing you can do is direct them to their local council. Local authorities have a duty to help people experiencing homelessness. Depending on their circumstances, the council may be able to offer emergency accommodation or help them secure longer-term accommodation. If possible, rough sleepers should approach the council they have a local connection to. This will usually be wherever they have most recently lived. To find contact information for local councils, visit the Gov.UK website here.

Gateway is just a single part of a much larger collection of services and community initiatives that aim to alleviate homelessness across Lancashire.

Gateway is working with a number of local authorities to provide a wraparound service.

Gateway has been commissioned to provide supported accommodation, outreach, early intervention and resettlement programmes.

East Lancashire, like many other locations across the world, sees individuals and families struggling from time to time and this can lead to homelessness.

Homelessness can affect anyone and behind every person, there is a story of what has happened and an individual approach needed to provide support if they would like to take the help.

Homelessness can be as a result, and often a mix of, debt and poverty, lack of positive connections, substance misuse and struggles around mental health.

This is why projects such as Gateway are essential. We provide a safe and stable environment while support is put in place to help people take steps towards their own goals.

The exact causes of homelessness vary from person to person. However, there are a number of common factors that contribute to individuals becoming homeless. These include things like substance abuse and addiction, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and isolation.

Definitely! Provided you feel comfortable to do so, a quick chat or even just a smile can have a huge impact.

This is a divisive topic.

Our viewpoint is that you should do whatever you feel comfortable with. If giving money makes you feel conflicted, you shouldn’t feel under any pressure to do so.

A good alternative would be to make a donation to your local homelessness charity. This way, you can feel confident that your money will go towards effective support for homeless individuals.

In some cases, providing a bottle of water or having a quick chat may be more beneficial.

If you feel confident to do so, the best thing may be to put them in contact with their local council.

Sometimes, homeless individuals will face a number of barriers to support.

Depending on their experiences, they may even feel they are better off on the streets.

Part of our job is to overcome these barriers and build relationships with the individuals we come into contact with.