Wednesday 19 June 2013

Homelessness in Ulverston

There are people sleeping rough here in Ulverston.

One guy is sleeping at the bottom of one of my friend back Gardens.

When confronted with this reality - I feel a chill down my spine. I know at least one person who sleeps rough but never stopped to think the he has a mate who is sleeping rough - NOW.

What am I going to do?

Is there any agency to refer him to?

Is there any official that I can get to take an interest?

I looked immediately on the Internet with a search on Google "Homeless Ulverston" and I couldn't find any help anywhere that is still in existence. One of the links referred people to the Citizen's Advice Bureau. At the moment there isn't one. Perhaps I need to do a more thorough search but what if there really isn't anywhere.

If it was at the bottom of your back garden - What would you do?

Looking out the window and seeing rain, cold wind and even hail and sleet -  Do we go to our warm bed after a good meal - how do we go to sleep? In fact the weather isn't that cold it's only 9 deg C tonight which is still cold for most of us. However realistically there will be a day soon  - maybe in six months (19th December looking forward to Christmas by the fire) when the temperature will drop well below zero when there will be homeless people still needing shelter.

Will we in Ulverston have a solution - isn't it our problem if no agency is in place to cope. What do we do - take them to a phone, to call CAB in Windermere to have a chat - with no real solution on offer?

Perhaps someone is aware that in fact there is help here in Ulverston.

Please tell me here.

Even if there is a solution somewhere if you look hard enough - Isn't it likely - with the way people's finances are going - that very soon the reality that we will have a community living under some bridges with no homes to turn to.

Thanks

3 comments:

Gladys said...

Look at http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/downloads/page1620/HASF_7_-_Homeless_Familiies_&_Singles_leaflet.pdf

Also, The Granary was set up some years ago especially to help homeless young people. I think it is still going.

I also think that the local Church or Churches have a team to help the homeless - but I'm not sure if it is still going.

Hope this helps.

Geoff Dellow said...

Just received this by email:

I was reading your blog. If you still want advice about your homeless person Google "Shelter Barrow". There is help in Barrow and Kendal but nothing in Ulverston for adults.

Hope this helps.

RUPERT

Sgt. Rupert Johnston
Ulverston and Lakes NPT

Geoff Dellow said...

Yes Gladys, it seems that in the past there were several sources of help here in Ulverston which no longer exist. Like for the CAB, we in Ulverston now have to go elsewhere. So much for Ulverston "being the Town with a big heart" - perhaps no longer. Sad, sad, sad. Is it really true that people here don't care? I certainly got that impression over the loss of the CAB.