Thank you to everyone who supported Crisis at Christmas in 2021. Across the country, people came together to donate, fundraise and volunteer their time to help people experiencing homelessness.
You helped to support 2,000 people across Great Britain, including hotel accommodation for around 500 people who would otherwise have been sleeping rough across London. We were also able to support hundreds more in insecure accommodation – such as hostels and B&Bs – across England, Scotland and Wales.
You’re also helping us to continue working with people through our year-round services, helping us to be there for people, side by side, as they take the steps towards leaving homelessness behind for good.
Joe*, found his stay in the hotel, “Perfect”. He said: “It’s been a long time since I had my hair cut. Now I can start thinking about how I can get back on my feet.
“I was sleeping on the street after I lost my job, my wife, my documents, everything I have."
Joe said of his experience: "Crisis has saved my life. I feel safe now, having a safe place to sleep.”
*Joe is a pseudonym to protect his identity.
To mark 50 years of Crisis at Christmas volunteering, we produced a special commemorative book, filled with memories, reflections and amazing stories from volunteers and staff that have made Crisis at Christmas possible.
You can take a look at a PDF version of the book here.
This year, we provided a delicious Christmas lunch in Birmingham, delivered hot food across Edinburgh and Christmas hampers in South Wales, Zoom calls in Newcastle, a Christmas Eve fry-up in Oxford, wellbeing and activity days in Coventry, hotel accommodation across London and much, much more.
Despite the difficult circumstances we all found ourselves in, we were determined to give people a Christmas to remember and vital respite needed to now take their first steps out of homelessness.
Teams worked around the clock to adapt to the Covid situation. We took learnings from last year in how to deliver services with restrictions in place, while prioritising the safety of our guests, volunteers and staff.
We were also able to continue to provide accommodation into the early New Year so that guests could connect with a long-term personal case worker and get further support they need to leave homelessness behind for good.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, last Christmas we gave people experiencing homelessness access to:
Now, we are working hard to provide ongoing support to people through our year-round services, through specialist one-to-one advice and support with housing, employment and wellbeing.
Crisis is the national charity for people who are homeless. At Christmas and throughout the year, we help people directly out of homelessness, and campaign for the social changes needed to solve it altogether.
Every Christmas we mobilise a unique volunteering effort to provide warmth, companionship, and vital services to people facing homelessness at one of the toughest times of the year.
This Christmas, we provided hotel accommodation for around 500 people who would otherwise have been sleeping rough across London.
We also supported thousands more people in insecure accommodation – such as hostels and B&Bs – across England, Wales and Scotland, providing food, companionship, advice and support to leave homelessness behind for good.
Volunteer with Crisis to make a real difference to people experiencing homelessness.
Take an icy plunge and help end homelessness once and for all.
Set up a regular gift to help support more people on their journey out of homelessness.