At St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity, we believe that everyone should have a safe place to call home. Over the past year, thanks to the dedicated work of the frontline workforce and emergency grants from the VRF, we’ve been able to make a real difference for individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness, allowing more than 7,500 to keep or secure a home. From providing emergency grants to help individuals escape the cycle of homelessness to funding innovative projects across the UK through our Frontline Funds, 2024 has been a year of impact for those we work with at St Martin’s Charity.
This blog shares some of the real stories that spotlight how our homeless charity has benefited individuals and families, allowing them to regain stability, safety and hope. Each story reflects the resilience of those we help and the dedication of the frontline workers who make it all possible.
While we celebrate these successes, it’s important to also look ahead at the challenges the sector faces, as demonstrated by the current scale of homelessness across the country. A report in the Financial Times has found that one in 200 households are living in emergency temporary housing, with the UK having the worst homelessness rates in the developed world. Homeless deaths are also on the rise, increasing by 12.2% between 2022 and 2023, according to the Museum of Homelessness.
These challenges persist, and as we look forwards in 2025, we’re reminded of the urgent need for continued action. With your support, we can expand our efforts to help vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness, ensuring everyone has access to a safe and secure place to call home.
Find out more about the pressing need for support in our How to Help People Experiencing Homelessness blog.
Your ongoing support and donations are essential to building on the progress we’ve made. Every contribution, big or small, helps us reach more people in need.
Before we get started
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What makes our homeless charity different?
Our homeless charity is unique in the way it offers both short-term and long-term solutions for those facing, or experiencing homelessness in the UK. Our VRF grants provide immediate relief to individuals who are facing financial barriers to secure housing, or face losing their home due to difficulties in meeting household bills or rent.
While these grants are small, one-off payments, their impact often lasts much longer than just the initial intervention. By overcoming immediate barriers, VRF grants can allow people to find the stability needed to rebuild their lives, creating lasting security. Our long-term vision is also demonstrated by our ongoing support of homelessness services UK-wide, through the Frontline Fund. With this fund, we provide financial assistance to vital services with the aim of creating lasting change.
Throughout 2024, this unique approach made a tangible difference, as you’ll see in the stories that follow, highlighting the importance of combining immediate relief with a vision for the future.
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Listening to frontline workers
Central to our approach is listening to the insights of frontline workers, through our annual Frontline Worker Survey. We aim to capture their perspectives, highlighting the challenges they face and the solutions they recommend. The survey allows us to gather information, thoughts and feelings from people who see the impact of homelessness every day. Their expertise and dedication to individuals experiencing homelessness shapes our strategy, ensuring our services remain effective and adaptable to the challenges faced.
Our 2024 Frontline Worker Survey found that 47% of frontline staff feel that their ability to prevent homelessness has decreased due to a lack of housing for those in need and an increased demand. The survey also shows an increased pressure on frontline workers, with over half of staff struggling to pay their rent or bills at least some of the time. Half of those surveyed also said that they always or often feel at risk of burnout, with 64% feeling that their job has had a negative impact on their mental health.
Listening to lived and frontline experience is crucial to addressing homelessness, and St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity takes these insights seriously. By listening to frontline workers’ thoughts and recommendations, we are able to shape our work. For example, as a result of the 2023 survey, we expanded our training fund in 2024, creating our training programme offer. This allowed us to provide a regular series of free sessions focused on filling the training gaps identified by staff across the UK, as well as informing the session content planning of our Frontline Network Annual Conference 2024.
The Frontline Worker Survey also acts as an evidence base for workers and leaders to both improve practice across the sector, and act for policy change. This commitment to listening and adapting ensures our approach remains grounded in real-world challenges, ultimately driving meaningful change.
How frontline workers made a difference in 2024
Elvira’s story
After experiencing a series of abusive relationships, Elvira, a former professional chef, went into debt and then lost her home. She was then referred to Rowan Alba’s women-only hostel, where she’s been living for the past two years. When she arrived, she was suffering with anxiety and panic attacks, and would barely leave her room due to fear.
For the past year, Elvira has been working with Sarah, a clinical psychologist supported by our Mental Health Fund through her role at Rowan Alba’s hostel. With guidance from Sarah and another psychologist, Elvira has begun confronting her fears and building resilience by attending classes on anxiety and trauma. She’s now feeling more confident in herself, connecting with other women at the hostel and even cooking for them.
Elvira is now in a good place and is making steps towards finding a place of her own. “Within six months’ time when I get my own place, I’ll use what I’ve learnt here. Hopefully I’ll be more successful this time and … I’ll be much better with paying my own bills and much better with budgeting and obviously when I feel ready, start going back to full-time work … and just trying to build my life back up.”
Rowan Alba’s ‘Psychology in Hostels’ project is financed over three years by St Martin’s Mental Health Fund. It allows clinical psychologist Sarah to be able to support 45 residents with long-term, targeted mental health support, to help them cope with trauma associated with experiencing homelessness.
“This works because we’re bringing psychology to where it’s needed. The nice thing about this post is that I’m really embedded here. I’m coming in, and I’m getting to know them very gradually – sitting, having cups of coffee, playing games with them, maybe going for a walk with them. We’re building trust and engaging more,” Sarah said.
“The three-year funding really allows for the change to happen. It’s really satisfying because we can see the progress.”
Carla’s story
Carla’s is another case that highlights the importance of frontline workers and the difference they can make to individuals experiencing homelessness. After spending 20 years on the streets, Carla found safety and stability at a women-only hostel with the support of her key worker, Chloe, and The Connection at St Martin’s. The Connection offers a safe space for people sleeping rough in London, offering practical help such as hot meals, a place to wash clothes or receive counselling or NHS services. St Martin’s has a long-standing funding relationship with The Connection and is proud to support the charity.
Life on the streets poses additional concerns as a woman, and Carla was always vigilant of the dangers. “I was constantly having to be alert. I used to drink a lot back then too, I was blocking a lot of it out.”
As a result, Carla reached out to The Connection at St Martin’s, where she was assigned a keyworker called Chloe. Chloe was able to help Carla into a hostel, where she’s been living for the past several months. She’s been making real progress on resolving her alcohol dependency and is feeling more positive about her future. “I feel a lot better in myself. I had some negative experiences on the streets, but now I feel a lot happier, more relaxed, and more at ease with myself. Now I can look forwards, not back.”
Chloe is continuing to work with Carla and they hope to find her a place to call home soon. Reflecting on Carla’s progress, Chloe says: “I think Carla doesn’t recognise her own resilience and determination, and the part that she’s played. Really, it’s all been Carla – I’ve only been there supporting her and giving a gentle nudge when needed. But it’s all her hard work.”
How our Vicar’s Relief Fund made a difference in 2024
Gail’s story
For people experiencing homelessness, our Vicar’s Relief Fund (VRF) can be a real lifeline. Gail, who is in her late 60s, had endured decades of coercion and threats from her then husband. On top of this, she was suffering from poor health after recovering from breast cancer, immobile and living with multiple chronic diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and respiratory illness. She was sleeping on a hospital bed, and needed an oxygen cylinder to help her breathe.
Gail found hope in West Mercia Women’s Aid, who identified a safe, independent accommodation that she could live in long-term. But then she hit a roadblock, as she was unable to afford the initial cost of securing the property, including the first month’s rent. That’s when West Mercia Women’s Aid applied, on Gail’s behalf, for a small grant through the VRF. The grant was accepted quickly and allowed her to move in with her dog, which has now become their permanent home.
Gail has been doing great since securing her own home. She’s reconnected with her children and grandchildren, and settled well into the local community. Her health has been improving too, and she is using her oxygen cylinder and mobility scooter far less than when she was first referred.
“The VRF has been fantastic in providing deposits that enable women to make their escape and move into safety and comfort, so that we can support them in their ongoing recovery.” – CEO, West Mercia Women’s Aid
Find out more about West Mercia Women’s Aid and the VRF.
Newsha’s story
Reverend Rudy Tan knows all too well the challenges encountered by people facing homelessness who are trying to secure housing. He has been assisting members of his church – Christ Church in Feltham – who are facing homelessness through the VRF.
Reverend Tan works with a community of asylum seekers, mainly from Iran, who are temporarily housed in a nearby hotel and attend his church. Newly granted refugees face additional challenges securing housing, and they have just a matter of weeks to move out of their government-provided temporary accommodation once their visa is approved.
In 2024, Reverend Tan was working with Newsha, who had to escape Iran where she was facing persecution. As soon as she was recognised as a refugee by the government, she found work as a teaching assistant at a local school. In her words, she did not want to ‘be a burden on society’. She had also been looking for a home, and had to borrow heavily, but was still unable to afford the deposit. So Reverend Tan applied for an emergency VRF grant for Newsha. This application was accepted within days and the grant went towards securing her accommodation.
“When I told her about the availability of this grant, Newsha said, ‘How or when do I need to pay it back?’ And I said, ‘That’s the thing Newsha – you don’t have to. This is a gift’. It was so touching that there are people willing to hand over this amount of money to help someone like her,” Reverend Rudy Tan said.
Support our homeless charity in 2025
As we’ve looked back on these stories from 2024, they offer just a glimpse into the lives that have been transformed through the support of people like you. From those who have found shelter and stability through the VRF, to frontline workers who are on the ground every day offering guidance and practical help, these stories show what is possible when we all come together.
Homelessness is continuing to rise, and the need for support is greater than ever. Every donation, no matter how small, plays a crucial role in making these life-changing stories a reality. By donating today, you will be making a real difference to the lives of those experiencing homelessness in the UK.
Make a real difference.