How to help London’s homeless people in winter

Tell StreetLink the location of an adult sleeping rough and the info will be passed on to local outreach workers on the ground. Volunteers will then find them and provide expert support. If they’re under 18, contact the police. And remember, if the person who is homeless needs medical attention fast then call 999. Download the StreetLink app, call the charity on 0300 500 0914, or visit its website.

Centrepoint provides safe, warm rooms for people aged 16-25 who find themselves homeless. Once they have a bed, the charity helps them plan their next move into independent living, and also hosts cooking and budgeting classes. Visit its website for more information about what you can do to help, including sponsoring a room for 40p a day.

It might not seem like much, but sometimes egg ’n’ soldiers with a cuppa can make the world of difference to a homeless person. If you know someone sleeping rough who needs a hot meal, direct them to Eggs & Bread, the cosy Walthamstow café that welcomes anyone who needs it to come in and cook themselves breakfast using its ingredients. Other free food options can be found on this blog, which details where to find free meals and soup kitchens around London. What a bunch of good eggs.

Short on cash to donate? Why not spare some time instead? Visit www.london.gov.uk for a list of voluntary roles, which include everything from StreetLink outreach worker to stock sorter for donated clothes. You can also contact local services directly, like The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields, which is looking for outreach volunteers. Better than another night in watching Netflix, eh? 

Swerve the big coffee chains and visit Change Please, a collection of coffee carts staffed by formerly homeless folks. Backed by The Big Issue magazine, this social enterprise empowers the homeless community by training them to be top baristas. Now your brew doesn’t just taste good, it does good. Visit the website to find your nearest branch.

Yep, you heard. Order a tray of gooey goodness from Rise Bakery, an arm of the East End charity Providence Row that helps more than 1,600 homeless people a year in London get back on their feet. The bakery provides training and work skills, while profits go back into the charity. Go to town on their brilliant baked goodies, like orange and coconut blondies and mocha brownies.

Okay, so you’re living off Rise Bakery brownies now. Better donate the rest of your grub to a foodbank. Over 90 percent of food in a foodbank is donated by the public, says The Trussell Trust, which has many across London, and it’s easy to find one near you using this interactive map. You could call in advance to see if there’s any particular food  that’s running low.

A supper club with a difference, Fat Macy’s has a mission to get people out of hostels and into permanent homes – and to serve tasty food along the way. The social enterprise trains formerly homeless people as chefs, with a view to giving them a clear pathway into work for the future. It's also doing Christmas hampers containing treats like cardamom shortbreads, granola and hazelnut dukkah. 

Homeless Link is like Wikipedia for rough sleepers – you can find anything on there. If you can, help someone find a safe place to sleep. Pull up the interactive map on your phone, and it’ll show you accommodation nearby, plus a list of entry requirements for each place.

Last year 100 disposable cameras were given to people who were homeless or getting off the streets. The photos are incredibly beautiful and they’ve been compiled into a 2022 calendar that’s a love letter to London, with all profits reinvested in the cause. This is just one project by Café Art, the social enterprise and gallery which displays the work of people who have experienced homelessness first hand. Check out its website for more original artworks and inspiring projects.