Homeless money welcome but more needed, charity says

Tony Amore, who is sleeping rough in Stoke-on-Trent, hopes to get a better life for himself

More money is needed to provide help and support for vulnerable, homeless, people, a charity has said.

Lloyd Cooke, chief executive at Saltbox, a Stoke-on-Trent based service which supports homeless people, said the situation was not improving.

The city council recently received more than £800,000 to support the homeless but Mr Cooke said the money was a "sticking plaster".

The money will create 31 extra beds for rough sleepers, the council said.

Voluntary organisations were going above and beyond to help homeless people, Mr Cooke said.

"While I'm grateful for the £800k, it's a sticking plaster," he added.

'It's really hard'

Rough sleeper Tony Amore regularly visits the Salvation Army on Bridge Street in Newcastle-under-Lyme. He has recently suffered from frostbite due to the cold.

"It's freezing. It's so cold it goes straight through your clothes," he said.

"It [the frostbite] woke me up at one in the morning. I had to walk to keep warm.

"It's just really hard and unless you've experienced homelessness, it's very difficult to explain to somebody."

Mr Amore said he was known for playing the piano and making art, and hopes to get a better life for himself so he can continue.

Without the Salvation Army he would have no place to go, he said.

"I come down here to get some support because it's not just about the money, it's about people who are caring, supportive, offer advice and can signpost you to different organisations that can hopefully get you off the street."

He also stressed people need support when they have managed to get accommodation, and not just while they are sleeping rough.

Mark Thomas Mangan also uses the services at the Salvation Army and said it was "a godsend".

Mark Thomas Mangan said the Salvation Army was a "godsend"

"I come down here because I meet friends and the staff. I always come to see the staff because they're all nice, wonderful people.

"They try their best and that's it and I really appreciate all the work they do for us," he said.

"It's really nice because if it's cold, you've got nowhere to hang around, because nine times out of 10 you've got the police moving you along so you can't really stand somewhere where it's warm for so long."

'Nobody sees them'

Jason Lawlor works at Stoke-on-Trent's Homeless Health Service.

"This time of year when the temperature drops we try to take the pressure off an already exhausted NHS," he said.

He added: "These people are in plain sight, but nobody sees them.

"There's a lot of stigma attached to homelessness. They're people at the end of the day, we're not going to judge them."

"It's really easy sometimes to look at people and think I wouldn't be like that," Mr Cooke said.

"But when I listen to stories, which I often do, I think there but for the grace of God goes any of us."

Chris Robinson, Stok,e-on-Trent's cabinet member for housing, regeneration and planning, said: "Our teams work extremely hard to ensure all our residents are supported but we know that there is a clear need for additional, specialised accommodation for rough sleepers in the city.

"Now, with the help of our partners, we will be able to provide more individuals with a warm and safe place to stay."