History
West London Churches Homeless Concern was formed in 1996 when a small group of people representing different denominations committed themselves to the task of reducing the growing number of people sleeping on the streets in their boroughs. “All the churches were being approached at this time by rough sleepers who needed food and shelter, and most shop fronts on the Kings Road were occupied overnight,” recalls Caroline Kennedy, one of the founding members.

The first project was to produce an information card to hand out to people sleeping on the streets. The pocket-size card lists local resources for homeless people and is updated annually.

Through conversations with local homeless people, the group then realised the need for a laundry service in Chelsea, which opened in September 1998. Homeless men and women can have their clothes cleaned while they shower at Chelsea Methodist Church. Over a decade later, the laundry continues to make “a huge difference” in people’s lives, says Judith Roberts, a WLCHC trustee and volunteer. Not only do people feel much better after a shower and clean set of clothes, they find they can interact more easily with the rest of society. “After a shower, people will talk to them,” she notes.

Following this, the first night shelter opened its doors in January 1999. Every year the shelters grew with more churches lending their support, and more and more homeless people were able to find a safe and warm environment during the coldest months of the year.

Over time it became clear that while the guests appreciated the services being offered, many wanted to end their period of homelessness. Many did not want to rely on the shelters, and wanted support to move onto more secure living. This led to the development of a casework service which got under way during the 2004/2005 winter night shelter season. Demand for the service has grown and this winter we will hire a second caseworker, enabling us to reach more people.