All our volunteers and 2/3 of our staff have been homeless. We encourage people who have been homeless to take control over their lives, to help them move out of homelessness and contribute to society.
The coaching and advocacy we offer gives people the opportunity to progress in their lives, whilst supporting them to overcome any issues that may be preventing them from moving on, such as poor housing or mental health issues.
Through training people develop skills and knowledge to help them become ‘work-ready’. Volunteers have gone onto become nurses, health specialists, carers and support workers. Many of Groundswell’s staff started as volunteers – they now hold roles in finance, HR, research and as homeless health Case Workers, helping others who are facing homelessness.
During the COVID-19 lockdown this sudden change in daily routine became hard to manage – particularly for some of our team living alone, who have limited IT skills, who are managing mental health issues or in recovery from addiction. The progression team are reporting an increased demand because of the strain on their mental health and wellbeing. Other volunteers are still being forced to go through legal proceedings and medical assessments remotely, without support by their side. This creates stress and anxiety for people. Groundswell are there for them, but we need your help.
Donate today, to ensure we can continue to offer people opportunities to progress in their lives and prevent them from falling back into homelessness – to benefit our whole society. https://groundswell.org.uk/donate/
