History

The seed of West London Churches Homeless Concern was planted in 1996 when a small group of people representing different denominations in West London committed themselves to the task of responding to 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 original nine members of a working party in 1996 that was to become West London Churches Homeless Concern.

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 realized 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 in WLCHC’s facilities. Almost a decade later, the laundry continues to make “a huge difference” in people’s lives, says Judith Roberts, a WLCHC trustee and volunteer who runs the year-round laundry service in Chelsea. Not only do the homeless men and women 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.

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.

Since 2004, WLCHC has been asking our homeless guests for feedback on how we’re doing. It became ever clearer to us 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 they needed support. This led to the initial development of a casework service which got under way during the 2004/2005 winter night shelter season.

Since 2005, a caseworker has been available during the shelter season to offer advice, advocacy and practical support to our guests. The caseworker helps guests to access drug and alcohol detox programs; mental health services; register with local health services; obtain identification; set up benefit claims; accommodation and employment.