As the freezing cold temperatures continue this week thanks to the 'Beast from the East', the dangers for anyone sleeping rough are very, very real.
Homeless people without shelter are at genuine risk of death as a result of these harsh weather conditions, so thankfully there's something you can do to help anyone you see struggling in the cold.
All you have to do is contact the homelessness charity StreetLink and alert them to the location of the person you've seen, and they will then be able to offer them assistance.
To do this, simply visit the StreetLink website in order to send them an alert. The details you provide will then be sent straight to the local authority or outreach service, and should hopefully help them locate the individual you're worried about.
The StreetLink website advises that you'll need to provide the following information:
- a specific location for the rough sleeper (you can do this by using a map and providing a written description of the location)
- details of the time you saw the rough sleeper in the location
- any information that you have about the rough sleeper, including their gender or what they are wearing
Once you've got in touch with StreetLink, you can also request an update to find out what happened as a result of your alert within 10 working days.
Everyone's clicking on...
We're sure you'll agree the StreetLink website is well worth bookmarking on your phone. You can also ring them their 24-hour hotline on 0300 500 0914. The service is available in England and Wales.
[h/t Metro]
Francesca Rice is the Multiplatform Editor of Red, leading on all things digital for the brand. She oversees every section of the site, from Fashion to Wellbeing, and directs Red's digital content strategy across all platforms, including newsletter, social media and video. Francesca has worked as a journalist on the UK's top lifestyle and luxury titles since 2013. She joined Red as Digital Editor in 2021, having previously held senior editorial roles at Hearst UK as Good Housekeeping's Deputy Digital Editor and Prima's Senior Digital Writer. Prior to this, she worked as a News & Features Writer for SheerLuxe, after beginning her journalism career as the Features Assistant at Marie Claire. Francesca has a postgraduate diploma in Multimedia Magazine Journalism from the Press Association and a degree in English Literature from Durham University. Having attended an international school, she is fluent in French and Italian (and occasionally Spanish after a few glasses of rosé). She loves travel, books and pizza so a relaxing holiday in Italy is pretty much her dream scenario.
