What does home mean to you?
A guest blog from Katie Wimpenny (pictured below, far-left), Legacy and In Memory Manager at St Mungo's.
Highlighting women’s homelessness
Many of us take our homes for granted, but for someone who is homeless, it can mean the difference between life and death. Sleeping rough is dangerous for everyone, but women sleeping rough carry the added burden of gender-based violence and abuse.
St Mungo’s works hard to provide its female clients with the safety, warmth and comfort that many people experiencing homelessness lack. We run a wide range of women’s services across London and Bristol, offering a safe space to recover from the abuse and trauma that female clients may have suffered from.
Earlier this month we re-launched our #WhatHomeMeans legacy campaign with a new focus on women’s homelessness to align with International Women’s Day.
To find out more about homelessness, in particular women’s homelessness, take St Mungo’s short quiz and share what home means to you.
St Mungo's client, Shineze, shares her story
“I found myself on the streets because of a family breakdown. I’ve been to multiple hostels run by different organisations where they’ve been mixed in gender, and I’ve never really been able to settle properly.
“After coming to St Mungo’s, I felt supported, understood, and listened to. I have key worker sessions much more regularly now, and they work with me to achieve and stick to my goals. I also feel empowered by the strong women that surround me at the hostel; they’ve all been through so much and I feel like I can learn so much from them.
“If it wasn’t for St Mungo’s, I could still be on the streets today. Living in this women’s hostel, with all the support that I have been given, has dramatically changed my life. I feel inspired to continue studying, regain my independence and move on from my
experiences of homelessness.”
A gift in your Will can help end homelessness for good
Gifts in Wills can help more people like Shineze off the streets, as well as give them the skills and confidence to build a future for themselves. These gifts are a special way to support people experiencing homelessness, and to help end homelessness for good.
To find out more about the campaign visit www.mungos.org/my-home or contact Katie Wimpenny, Legacy and In Memory Manager at St Mungo’s, on 0203 856 6376 or legacies@mungos.org
St Mungo’s works hard to provide its female clients with the safety, warmth and comfort that many people experiencing homelessness lack. We run a wide range of women’s services across London and Bristol, offering a safe space to recover from the abuse and trauma that female clients may have suffered from.
Earlier this month we re-launched our #WhatHomeMeans legacy campaign with a new focus on women’s homelessness to align with International Women’s Day.
To find out more about homelessness, in particular women’s homelessness, take St Mungo’s short quiz and share what home means to you.
St Mungo's client, Shineze, shares her story
“I found myself on the streets because of a family breakdown. I’ve been to multiple hostels run by different organisations where they’ve been mixed in gender, and I’ve never really been able to settle properly.
“After coming to St Mungo’s, I felt supported, understood, and listened to. I have key worker sessions much more regularly now, and they work with me to achieve and stick to my goals. I also feel empowered by the strong women that surround me at the hostel; they’ve all been through so much and I feel like I can learn so much from them.
“If it wasn’t for St Mungo’s, I could still be on the streets today. Living in this women’s hostel, with all the support that I have been given, has dramatically changed my life. I feel inspired to continue studying, regain my independence and move on from my
experiences of homelessness.”
A gift in your Will can help end homelessness for good
Gifts in Wills can help more people like Shineze off the streets, as well as give them the skills and confidence to build a future for themselves. These gifts are a special way to support people experiencing homelessness, and to help end homelessness for good.
To find out more about the campaign visit www.mungos.org/my-home or contact Katie Wimpenny, Legacy and In Memory Manager at St Mungo’s, on 0203 856 6376 or legacies@mungos.org
