The past 18 months have been a very strange and unsettling time. Amongst some of the most difficult moments many of us have experienced, the willingness of people to help other people shone like a beacon. People up and down the land reached out to those around them when they needed support and help.

The importance of volunteers

I think it’s sometimes easy to underestimate the capacity of the public to respond to whatever is asked of them, but at Crisis we never take this for granted. We have a very clear understanding of the importance of volunteers. After all, it was volunteers who were responsible for the first Crisis at Christmas 50 years ago.

If you were to walk into a Crisis at Christmas centre this year, you would be met by volunteers, who would help you get settled, serve you food and drinks, and provide you with companionship and support you to access our wellbeing services. Throughout Christmas, volunteers manage our Christmas services and ensure that all our Christmas guests have the opportunity to take the first steps away from homelessness.

Crisis at Christmas

Christmas is typically a time we think of as being filled with joy and wonder and magic. We only have to listen to the music, see the twinkling lights and open presents with our families to feel those things. When I visit our Christmas services, and I see our volunteers extending the hand of comfort to our guests I feel that there is joy and wonder and magic in what they do. The magic of people willing to do what it takes to ensure that no one is homeless and alone this Christmas.

Being a part of Good Morning Britain's 1 Million Minutes

This year, over the month of December, Crisis is hoping to welcome lots of new supporters. As one of Good Morning Britain’s charity partners for their 1 Million Minutes campaign, we are asking viewers to pledge their time to make a real difference to people experiencing homelessness.

Whether it’s giving up an hour of their time to learn more about what it will take to end homelessness for good, pledging to volunteer at Christmas 2022 or volunteering in one of our Crisis shops, the gift of time that our volunteers give to us no matter how large or small is incredibly valuable to us. The magic it brings to our guests and clients at Christmas and all year round is clear to see as our teams work tirelessly to help every person, we support, leave homelessness behind for good.