We're so glad you're here

Welcome

We are St Mungo’s. We’ve been at the forefront of homelessness for more than 50 years, helping people leave the streets and rebuild their lives. We’re so happy that you have chosen to join us on this journey.

Together we can help end homelessness

people were supported by our outreach teams in 2021-22

people supported by us in 2021/22 who were homeless or at risk of homelessness

Outreach

Rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness. It is harmful, dangerous and ruins lives. It is so damaging that men who sleep rough can expect to live to 45. For a woman, it is just 41.

We are one of the largest providers of outreach services for people who are rough sleeping in England. Last year our 14 outreach teams supported 5,490 people sleeping rough.

Accommodation

We operate a range of accommodation services, from basic shelters or hostels, through to supported and semi-independent housing, to help people at every stage of their recovery from homelessness. We believe that people can – and do – recover from the issues that cause homelessness, and a safe and stable living environment is central to this recovery.

But our accommodation is much more than bricks and mortar. Alongside having somewhere safe and secure to stay, our staff and volunteers work with our clients to understand their hopes and ambitions, helping them to take the steps they need to in order to achieve these.

Advocacy

Working in partnership with our clients and staff and partners across the homelessness sector, St Mungo’s advocates for the solutions that will help end rough sleeping. Our influencing work is shaped by the lessons of people who have lived and worked through homelessness.

We are stronger when we work together. And St Mungo’s works to ensure that ending rough sleeping is seen as everybody’s business.

Health

At St Mungo’s we understand that health problems are both a cause and consequence of homelessness, and that improving our clients’ health and wellbeing is a key enabler of ending homelessness and rebuilding lives. We also know that people experiencing homelessness face significant health inequalities, both in terms of outcomes and access to services.

There is evidence to suggest that homeless populations experience multiple barriers to accessing and utilising healthcare services. Only 67% of people sleeping rough are likely to be registered with a GP for instance, compared with 98% of the general population.

Employment

We want the range of skills and employment services we offer to suit the diversity of our clients. Many of our clients have low literacy levels or learning difficulties, so we start with the basics – offering classes on literacy and numeracy through our Basic Skills team.

We then work with clients to build a sustained recovery, progressing from basic skills to more vocational training, such as learning trade or administrative skills.

The ultimate aim is to get clients back into employment, which helps them build confidence and independence. So we have close links with partners across a number of sectors so we can help clients into meaningful, paid employment.

Recovery

Each of our services has tailored support based on client needs.

Our Putting Down Roots programme aids client recovery through therapeutic gardening, and we also operate peer support groups, to allow clients a safe space to talk through shared experiences and share their journeys.

Wayne's story

Wayne was made homeless after a personal loss seriously affected his mental health.

Wayne found his mother dead, in the home they shared together. To cope with his grief he started using drugs and ended up sleeping rough.

One night, Wayne met Bill, one of our frontline workers. Bill earned Wayne’s trust and helped him find a place to live.

Once in accommodation, Wayne could start to take the steps he needed to recover and move forward with his life.

"It was horrible sleeping in doorways. Having people talk down to you like you are nothing. They don’t care if you are homeless."

With the support of St Mungo’s, Wayne started to do a number of courses. He learned useful skills like plumbing, tiling, lock fitting and painting and decorating. With this training, he regained confidence in himself, and started to look for work.

“To know that you’ve got someone helping you that cares — it gives you hope and it helps you want to change”

Can you help more people like Wayne rebuild their lives?

Have you seen someone sleeping rough? You can refer them to us via StreetLink.

You can refer someone you’ve seen sleeping rough on their website.