Introducing our BBC Radio 4 Appeal: ‘Wishing for a home’

The BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields will air on Sunday 1st December 2024.

The BBC Christmas Appeal has been running for 98 years and, since 1927, has supported people facing homelessness thanks to the generosity of our listeners.

Every year, we hear from people who have been supported through funds from St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity’s BBC Appeal.

They share their journeys with listeners and illustrate how their lives were changed upon receiving support.

Tune in this year to hear more. On Sunday 4th December 202, ‘Making a Difference’ will be broadcast at 09:45 and 17:40 – don’t miss it.

You can listen to the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity here.

The BBC Radio 4 Appeal

The theme of the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields this year is ‘Wishing for a Home’. 

Where would you be without your home? It’s the place where life, love and precious moments begin.

How would your life be different if you had to spend your nights on a friend’s sofa, or on the cold, unforgiving streets?

We ask these questions as we launch our BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal. Because without a home, there is no stability or safety. Everything starts with home.

And this year, with the cost of living crisis hitting households hard, tens of thousands of people face homelessness. Homelessness is rising across the UK. In England alone almost 360,000 households approached their council for help with homelessness in the last year, a 10% increase. The highest number of people ever recorded are in temporary accommodation. Rough sleeping is rising in every region and a record nearly 12,000 people were seen sleeping rough on the streets of London over the last year. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all recorded increases in homelessness.

A safe home should never be too much to wish for.

St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity offers funding for both individuals and for organisations, such as The Connection at St Martin’s in central London.

We help people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness to access suitable accommodation and keep it, right across the UK.

One grant can help a person keep their home, or find a new, safe place to live – but we need your support. Help fund our grants and support people across the UK facing homelessness.

Will you help someone secure or keep a safe home this Christmas?

How you can help someone wish for a home come true this Christmas

The BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields means we are able to support people facing homelessness year-round.

Across the UK, you help us to provide financial support so that more people can find and keep a place to live.

Many financial barriers can prevent someone from securing accommodation and we regularly hear from people who can’t afford to pay costs such as an expensive, upfront rental deposit.

Our grants are designed to help.

They’re given to individuals through frontline workers who can apply on behalf of the people they’re supporting.

We’ve established a fast and effective process so that grants are given as quickly as possible, and this funding can transform a person’s circumstances quickly, effectively and often in a matter of days.

Thanks to our wonderful supporters, we’ve helped 7,183 people secure or keep their homes in the UK this year. This was through 4,582 grants and a total of £1,820,134.

These grants are often just the stepping stone people need to start their new chapter, at home.

This was true for Carla. After two decades of rough sleeping, Carla found safety and stability at a women-only hostel with the support of her key worker, Chloe, and The Connection at St Martin-in-th-Fields.

Carla came to The Connection at St Martin’s in April this year, after twenty years of on-and-off rough sleeping. This time around, she was sleeping in a tent near the Strand, strategically placing her tent outside of restaurants with heaters, to try to get a bit of warmth.  

She first became homeless due to a relationship breakdown, which led to a spiral of drinking and drug use. And from here, she faced two decades of instability. 

Rough sleeping as a woman comes with its own specific set of dangers. As a woman alone, Carla was unfortunately well aware of this, and had to have her own safety on her mind at all times. 

“I was constantly having to be alert. I used to drink a lot back then too, I was blocking a lot of it out.” 

This lack of safety was a catalyst for Carla in approaching The Connection for support. When she did, she was assigned a key worker, Chloe. Chloe’s immediate priority was to get Carla off the streets, and into a safe, secure home. It took some time to build up trust, and build a relationship with Carla, and during this time she used The Connection’s services. She was able to access hot food and drinks, use the laundry room, and use the showers. She also attended The Connection’s women-only group on Wednesdays, a safe space for women to access support.  

Once Chloe was able to gain Carla’s trust, she secured her a room in a women-only hostel in central London. 

“If it wasn’t for Chloe, I wouldn’t be where I am now.” 

Carla has now been in the hostel for a couple of months and is flourishing. She is making real progress towards resolving her alcohol dependency, receiving comments from so many people that she is looking well. She feels much better, too. 

“I feel a lot better in myself. I had some negative experiences on the streets. Now I feel a lot happier, more relaxed, and more at ease with myself. Now I can look forwards, not back.” 

At the hostel, Carla has found safety and stability. With her own space, she can look after herself, and crucially, have access to showers, cooking facilities, and a warm bed. She is also enjoying taking part in activities at the hostel, provided by staff at The Connection, particularly the art classes and gardening classes. She has been working hard on her progress, and is optimistic about her next steps. 

Carla is just one of many people who have been supported through our grants.

For him, a home provided the stability he needed to start working and to recover from the struggles he faced.

Thank you to all of the supporters of our BBC Christmas Appeal – it helps us to make a difference to so many.

A safe home should never be too much to wish for. Can you help someone’s wish for a home come true this Christmas?