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Aaron's reflections - Social Worker within Sheffield City Council's Rough Sleeping Team

Aaron is a Social Worker in the MASH team (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) within Adult Social Care, embedded in the rough sleeping team within housing, supporting entrenched rough sleepers. This role, along with the street outreach nurse role, is grant-funded by the government to address the needs o...

9 things you may not know about the Archer Project

Most people think they know what a homelessness charity does - provide food, showers, laundry, and a safe place to rest. "People think we're just emergency support for people experiencing homelessness, and that's it," says Alicia Thompson, Stability Manager at the Archer Project. "And I thought tha...

Kindness at the front door - Changing Futures Sheffield

"The basic measure of success for us is that a person feels seen. Just that feeling of ‘someone's got my back’." That's how Dan, team manager of the Changing Futures project in Sheffield, describes what his team is working towards, with some of the city's most vulnerable people. Changin...

Kindness at the front door - Changing Futures Sheffield

"The basic measure of success for us is that a person feels seen. Just that feeling of ‘someone's got my back’." That's how Dan, team manager of the Changing Futures project in Sheffield, describes what his team is working towards, with some of the city's most vulnerable people. Changin...

"It's those tiny incremental changes": The HOPE Team at Likewise

"We have to recognise that it takes a lot for some people to approach and speak with us. When you consider what they may have been through, that alone is already a win." That's how Lana, Lead Practitioner with the HOPE team at Likewise, describes the standard by which her team measures progress. HO...

Supporting a young person experiencing homelessness in Sheffield

"Every now and then someone slips through the cracks, and the relationship with their family isn't repairable, and they may end up rough sleeping. What’s important is our response once we pick them up." That's how Lewis, from Sheffield City Council's Rough Sleeper Initiative team, descr...

"I've become a bit of a one-stop shop" - Sheffield's Gender Specific Housing Officer

"Nine times out of ten, the barriers weren't about the women not wanting help. It was that the system wasn't set up in a way that worked for them." That's how Kerry, who holds a specialist gender-specific role as a Homeless Case Officer within Sheffield City Council's Rough Sleeper team, desc...

Supporting women in sex work in Sheffield - SWWOP

"We're not exit-focused, that’s not what drives our work. We're empowering women to make the choices they're entitled to make, but to do that safely, and with as little risk of harm as possible." That's how Bethan Davies, from Sheffield Working Women's Opportunity Project (SWWOP), descr...

Rethinking what help looks like

"We can't arrest our way out of this, and arrest very rarely will get us where we need to be." That's how Inspector Andrew Rimmer, who leads Sheffield's City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, describes the challenge his team faces every day, and the approach they've chosen to meet it. ...

It takes more than a house - Framework

“There is a common misconception among the general public, that people they see sleeping rough or perhaps begging on the streets just need a house, and that that will solve all of their challenges. For most people experiencing homelessness in Sheffield, that’s just over-simplifying what ...

Delivering to build trust - HALT team

“Quick wins, being visible and present, and always delivering what we promise. That’s how we build trust, establish relationships, and support people to move away from substance misuse and rough sleeping”, says Richard Grundy, Home at Last Team (HALT) Manager, from commissioned ser...

A city for all of us - Sheffield BID

“As Operations Manager for Sheffield BID, my team delivers additional, business-funded services that help make the city centre safer, cleaner and more welcoming. By complementing the work of Sheffield City Council and working closely with partner organisations, we focus on practical issues aff...

Building connections, one conversation at a time

“That first conversation might just be a couple of words, when I’m out in the early hours with Framework, and that’s it. But then I might see the person again the following week, near the Recovery Van, and then again a couple of weeks later at one of the day centres. And then his m...

Christmas Cabin 2025 evaluation

The Help Us Help Christmas Cabin campaign returned to Sheffield City Centre in 2025, aiming to raise awareness of homelessness, promote local charities, and encourage donations and volunteering. Over one week, the campaign engaged thousands of people, distributed over 1,500 newspaper...

Catherine's story - from trauma to Recovery

Hello, my name's Catherine, and I'm on my own personal healing journey. My parents were both addicts growing up, and the environment was often unsafe and violent. I ended up being moved across the world when I was 14, so my mother could carry on with her addiction in private (from the rest of...

Christmas Cabin moments 2025

There were so many magical moments on this year's Help us Help Christmas cabin! We've pulled together a few of them into this blog... On day one, it was great to meet these lovely ladies, who were visiting Sheffield from Glasgow. After a chat with the volunteers on the stall, they took away a bag a...

Help us Help this Christmas

Every day, retailers and customers in Sheffield encounter people facing homelessness. Many of us want to help, but it’s not always easy to know how. Look out for the Help us Help cabin on the Christmas Market on Sheffield Moor from Tuesday 25th November to Monday 1st December. This C...

To Care, To Listen, and To Help: Sheffield Street Pastors

For the past fifteen years, Sheffield’s Street Pastors have been a reassuring presence on Friday and Saturday nights in the city centre. Part of a UK-wide network, the team of 26 volunteers from 16 different churches are united by a simple mission: to care, to listen, and to help. Their work ...

Sheffield Cathedral: A Place for All People

Over 30 years ago, members of Sheffield Cathedral began serving tea and toast to people in need. That simple act of kindness has since grown into a city-wide lifeline through the Archer Project. Today, the Cathedral proudly declares itself “A place for all people”, a commitment that The...

The Sunday Centre: Outreach and Compassion in the Heart of Sheffield

The Sunday Centre, a volunteer-led charity operating out of Victoria Hall in Sheffield, has long been a vital support hub for individuals experiencing homelessness or hardship. Every Sunday, the Centre opens its doors to provide hot meals, drinks, and a welcoming space for between 100 and 140 guests...

Awareness raising events - July 2025

July 2025 saw the Help us Help team and partners continue to raise awareness of our campaign, by sharing the newly developed Help us Help newspaper. On Wednesday 2nd July, the Rough Sleeper Initiative team and partners held an event in the Moor Market, where they handed out 500 copies of th...

People aren’t safe until everyone is safe

“The work I’m doing is just building on discussions that are ongoing, and have been ongoing for years, explains Sun Safe Sheffield campaigner, Charlotte Killeya. “This isn’t a new idea, but it needs action, and soon!” “At the heart of the campaign is a sense of s...

Overcoming barriers with holistic support

“The team are like personal cheerleaders! We encourage people looking for work who’ve likely never had someone in their corner before, helping them to understand their skills and strengths, and find fulfilling employment that takes into account any barriers they may be experiencing. And ...

Launching the 2025 newspaper!

Read the full story on the Help us Help newspaper launch: launch day report Download the newspaper, here: 2025 newspaper ...

There are always two sides to a story

“If there’s one message that I’d like to get out there, I would just encourage people to take the time to listen and really hear what people have to say, without judging them. I spoke to one person recently who told me they had spent time in care as a child, and that their life jus...

City centre business giving back

“Being based in the city centre, not far from the Archer Project itself, we see the impact of their team's work on a daily basis, directly through the window at times! We see how often outreach happens on the streets, and how hard teams are working to support people. Nobody wants to see peopl...

Recovery Van Pilot becomes a permanent fixture in the city centre

A recent pilot scheme coordinated by the Community Safety team has shown promising results in providing support to people on the streets. Following the 9-week initiative, which involved multiple agencies, and recorded 249 interactions with individuals seeking support and advice it has been mutually ...

The Home at Last Team (HALT)

An update from the HALT team - December 2024 HALT, the Home at Last Team works with adults who are homeless or rough sleeping and have a substance misuse need. We are an outreach team working across the city, delivering interventions to service users either on the street or in homelessness centres,...

A time to mourn

A blog by Tim Renshaw, CEO of the Archer Project. Three deaths on the streets in Sheffield in ten days. Immediately, questions were being asked about accommodation and the impact of the weather. While these questions were asked a group of us sat on a call together remembering those who had ...

Leigh's story

This is Leigh’s story, as told in his own words: “Where shall I start? I guess it makes sense to start at the very beginning because, in my experience, for most people who end up homeless, there’s been something in their childhood that’s led them there. Trauma of some sort. ...

Kelvin's story

“This life has been one messed up journey, from one extreme to the other, and now I'm a Peer Support Worker for the homeless. You couldn't make this all up!” Kelvin’s story is a complicated and at times traumatic one. From spending time in care as a child, and growing up in Gu...

Multi-agency outreach success

Sheffield City Council’s Rough Sleeper Initiative team co-ordinated and led a multi-agency city centre outreach session on Tuesday evening with staff from the RSI team, South Yorkshire Police, City Centre Ambassadors, Parish Nurse, Likewise, Target supported housing provider and a lived experi...

Supporting rough sleepers during hot weather

This week, Sheffield City Council Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) implemented its SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol) procedure due to the high temperatures. This triggered additional support for vulnerable groups, including people who may sleep rough in the city, and involved the RSI team worki...

Partnership working with BHF

“Until recently when partners came together to tackle the issue of anti-social behaviour, our store team felt unsupported by any community services”, says Scott Berney, Head of Safeguarding at the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Scott explains that the team at the BHF store on...

Working together to keep people safe

“Sheffield’s city centre is transforming at speed. The ongoing regeneration is creating a modern, accessible city centre, with diverse and thriving daytime and nighttime economies. It’s a great place to live, to visit, set up a business, and to work. We’re excited to see that...

36 years of supporting others

From humble beginnings, nearly 36 years ago, with a couple of volunteers walking the city at night, flasks of hot soup in hands to offer to people on the streets, the Sheffield Churches Soup Kitchen now runs from a base at Silver St car park opposite the old Fire Station on West Bar, and feeds homel...

A&E in reach - supporting rough sleepers

Homelessness causes severe inequalities in care, with health issues often going untreated until a critical point, when people may present in crisis. Patients attending A&E because of issues such as homelessness and alcoholism cost Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust more than £160,000 durin...

A catch up with Helping Hand

Helping Hand are a student action group at the University of Sheffield, that has been providing outreach support to people on the streets in the city centre for the past few years. The group leads homelessness-related activities for the student body, organising fundraising and donation campaign...

Launching our guide for businesses

Thank you to SheffNews for covering the launch of our guide for businesses. Their article is shared below: **** A new guide will help city centre businesses to address begging, engage with people who are begging and share information about how enforcement is tackling anti-social behaviour in Sheff...

Ben's story, from the Street Outreach team

A case study from the Street Outreach team from Framework: "A lot of people think that if someone is rough sleeping, their first priority is to get housed somewhere. Sometimes it is and as a team, we are there to offer support and guidance and help people into housing. Yet that is not alwa...

Why should I trust them? - Ed's Recovery story

“I’ve not had it as bad as lots of homeless people. I managed to avoid much of the chaos, the abuse, and the people in that community who are only out for themselves. I became homeless after I witnessed a violent crime. I was living in Moss Side in Manchester when gangsters and drugs wer...

High on Recovery

“I didn’t have a great childhood. Not because of my Mum; she was great. But because of my Dad. He was really violent towards my Mum. And back then there wasn’t the support there is now. People didn't talk about domestic abuse or childhood trauma. There was no support, at least none...

My rock bottom - Leah's story

Rock bottom for me wasn’t the abusive relationships or being raped. It wasn’t losing my home and my beautiful daughter. It wasn’t being helpless to save my friends who died on me, or the survivor's guilt that plagued me after. It wasn’t even the spider-filled shed in the midd...

Parish Nurse feedback from HARC 2022/23

“I think my biggest reflection from spending time at the Homeless and Rootless at Christmas (HARC) project over Christmas and the New Year period, is that most of this client group have significant health needs which are not being met. This goes against popular press and media reports that peo...

HARC reflections - Christmas 2022/23

The Homeless and Rootless at Christmas project (HARC), has been providing a safe and warm day shelter for homeless and rootless vulnerable people between Christmas and New Year since 1989. Volunteers serve three hot meals a day over the festive period, with guests welcome to spend the entire ...

South Yorkshire Police, City Centre Neighbourhood: newsletter update

Read the latest update from the City Centre Neighbourhood team from South Yorkshire Police. July 2023: City Centre NPT newsletter July 2023 June 2023: City Centre NPT newsletter - June 2023 May 2023: City Centre NPT newsletter - May 2023 March 2023: City Centre NPT newsletter...

HAST - '14 Days of Christmas'

HAST are the Homeless Assessment and Support Team. They shared a recent case study to highlight the work they do in Sheffield to support people experiencing homelessness. ***** Client J – Well known to mental health services in Sheffield, with a long history of Schizo-Affective Disor...

HALT - '14 Days of Christmas'

HALT are the Home at Last Team. We asked the team to share an update about the work they do in Sheffield to support people on the streets. ***** “We are a group of drug and alcohol workers, and our aim is to work with rough sleepers or those at risk of rough sleeping who hist...

HARC - '14 Days of Christmas'

“I was kicked out a few days ago and my wife moved another man in. I have been sleeping rough and really miss my kids. I am finding things very, very difficult but have been trying hard to hold myself together. I just needed someone to talk to, a friendly ear and some food, then I can s...

START - '14 Days of Christmas'

“My background from being a teenager was drugs and alcohol. Up until a year ago, I’d say I was still functioning fairly well. Those issues were just on the backburner really. Then I found myself in a violent relationship, and as the violence escalated, so did my use of drugs and alcohol....

Sunday Centre - '14 Days of Christmas'

“We had a man come to us a couple of weeks ago. He hadn't had anything to eat the day before and there is only us open on a Sunday. We were able to give him a good, hot, healthy meal and some bread, fruit, and biscuits to take away. He said "I was really hungry when I came here but now ...

swwop - '14 days of christmas'

SWWOP provides intensive and practical support to vulnerable individuals involved in sex work and at risk of sexual exploitation. Our drop-in centre is open Monday-Friday and can be accessed for support around housing, benefits, STI screening, harm-reduction advice or just a cuppa and a sandwich.&nb...

framework - '14 days of christmas'

Sheffield’s Street Outreach Team is run by Framework. Team Leader, Steph Haines, shares more about their work in the city. “We go out every morning from as early as 4am to find rough sleepers and offer them support. We walk around the city centre but we also go out of town. The c...

Lighthouse - '14 Days of Christmas'

The Lighthouse initiative opens each Thursday from 9am to 11:30am, at the Rock Christian Centre in the Burngreave area of Sheffield. Peter from the Lighthouse team told us more about the project: “We are a voluntary team from the Rock Christian Centre who have seen the need to help our commu...

Mental health support hub - '14 days of christmas'

Mental Health Matters Sheffield Support Hub offers free mental health support to anyone aged over 16, in a safe and supportive environment. Their experienced staff team are available to provide emotional, social and practical support for anyone in crisis or heading toward a crisis situation. ...

Helping Hand - '14 Days of Christmas'

“We’re just a group of 16 student volunteers, with a variety of backgrounds, and at different levels of study, all aiming to make a mark during our time in Sheffield. Our city-centre outreach walks are starting back up soon, we’re supporting the team at The Sunday Centre by volunte...

Housing First - '14 Days of Christmas'

“When I was first introduced to Karen, she was begging by the Peace Gardens. I thought to myself, ‘how on Earth am I going to be able to help this woman’, because she looked seriously unwell, both mentally and physically. She had just been discharged from Cygnet Hospital and return...

Ben's Centre - '14 Days of Christmas'

An update from CEO, Daryl: "Ben’s Centre has had a very busy year! Aside from the backwash of covid-19/lockdown and all other related challenges, not to mention equipping our new premises and keeping our staff well and supported, we have maintained a constant stream of support for our client...

Archer Project - '14 Days of Christmas'

“For someone to care and trust me, that was most life-changing” Chris is 37 and has lived through traumatic experiences that would be incomprehensible to most, including abuse, addiction and slavery. This is his story. ***** For over thirty years the Archer Project has supported tho...

Parish Nurse update

Do you know about the work of the Parish Nurse team from St Mathews Church in the city centre? They are a vital part of the network of support services that exist in the city to support people on the streets. You can read their update from Jan to June 2022, below. “We’ve seen ei...

Healthcare map

We have developed a map of health services available in the city to people living on the streets. The map also includes general health advice for Sheffield residents. You can download it here. Alison Wise for Help us Help July 2022....

Partnership working with SWWOP and Framework

Thanks to Georgia Robinson (Street Outreach Worker, Framework) for sharing this case study. All names have been changed ***** Sheffield Working Women's Opportunities Project (SWWOP) works with prostitutes based in Sheffield. At Framework we know that homeless women are often much harder to h...

More than housing

Thanks to Steph Haines, team leader from Framework for sharing this case study with us. All names have been changed. ***** 'Peter' is originally from Poland. He has been in the UK for 12 years. He was trafficked here and was made to work in car washes for a while. Peter managed to escape and is no...

Outreach map

Providing up-to-date information about the support that exists for people on the streets in Sheffield is a key aim of the Help us Help campaign. The information needs to be readily available and accessible for vulnerable people seeking support, and also for the general public who may be unsure about...

Still going strong!

“Well, we made it through. As a centre, I’d say we are recovering from Covid now, rather than suffering from it. Despite the twists and turns, the lockdowns, and the ever-changing guidance, we kept going. And we’re really proud of that!” Help us Help caught up with Steve Cla...

Relationships matter - the work of the HALT team

The HALT team is part of the Sheffield Treatment and Recovery Team (START) who provide support and treatment to people living in the city who are struggling with addiction to alcohol and drugs. The HALT team’s remit is to provide support to difficult-to-engage people who are homeless, have a ...

Paul's story - Housing First

“It’s really hard for people to get their head around a situation where someone could be tempted to re-offend, just so they would have probation services back in their life”, says Rachael Martin, Housing First support worker in Sheffield. “That’s the situation Paul was...

Ben's Bazaar

Have you heard about the new initiative from the Ben’s Centre team; Ben’s Bazaar? ‘Ben’s Bazaar’ has opened on Rockingham Gate (opposite Primark) in the old Plug Box Office and the building has been transformed from an empty shell to a treasure trove, stacke...

Sheffield's Street Outreach Network

The Sheffield Street Outreach Network, together with Sheffield City Council’s Community Safety Team, has co-produced best practice guidance for groups, charities and individuals supporting people who are vulnerable, begging, or homeless on the streets in Sheffield. We spoke to members of the ...

Sheffield students hitch-hiking to raise funds!

Students in Sheffield can sometimes get a bad press. But here's proof of the huge contribution that many of them make in supporting local charities and services in the city during their time here. Chris Manley, a student from University of Sheffield tells us more... "Baby Bummit was a hitc...

What a difference a year makes!

Peter’s story, as told to Help us Help by Will McGahey, Housing Solutions Team Manager – Housing First, Sheffield City Council. “Just a year ago, Peter was regularly rough sleeping. He spent last Christmas sleeping out in the city centre in the freezing weather. To be honest, Fram...

Supporting a city centre vendor

Penka is a Big Issue North vendor in the city centre. PCSO Cundy first met her a while ago whilst on joint patrols with an Immigration worker. Penka was extremely upset at the time, and with the help of an interpreter it was established she was homeless and needed some assistance. PSCO Cundy ...

Danielle's story - from Framework Street Outreach

Homeless women can often be more difficult to house than men for a few reasons. One is that rather than sleep on the street they often find partners and other men to stay with. This means they are sometimes ‘hidden’ from services and also can put them in dangerous situations. There are a...

Unity Outreach

“Looking back, I was so green at the start of all this. I researched Sheffield soup kitchens online, found Bobbie’s number, and rang her up saying ‘I want to start a soup kitchen’. I had no clue what I was talking about really”, says Aaron. Aaron runs Unity Outreach, a...

Kevin's story - from Framework Street Outreach Team

Kevin has been in and out of prison for the last 5 years or so, never being out long enough to sort his out his housing or his drug use. This most recent time he was released we were lucky enough to be able get him assessed with the council and placed with Target Housing. Unfortunately due to an in...

Liam's story, from Framework

Framework have been working with a client for over 4 years called ‘Liam’. Liam is difficult to engage due to his high drug use and chaotic lifestyle. Over the years he has gained a relationship with Framework. We have helped him contact Probation and build a relationship with them as wel...

Shoebox Appeal 2021

The Sheffield Shoebox Appeal has been running since 2013, initially focusing on collecting shoeboxes for people accessing support through homelessness services. The appeal grew gradually, and now supports many more vulnerable people including those in hostels and refuges, those escaping abuse, those...

Helping Claire - a Framework Street Outreach team story

We go on outreach every morning from 6am to look for rough sleepers. We go to the usual places where we know to find rough sleepers but we also rely on referrals that we receive through the public or other services. We received one referral from a local area office to say there were concerned about...

Housing First success

Housing First is a person-centred, evidence-based approach to supporting homeless people who have high needs and histories of entrenched or repeat homelessness, and especially rough sleeping, to live in their own homes. It has been widely adopted across the US and Europe and increasingly in the UK...

Hear from Shelter's GROW trainee

Some insights from Shelter Sheffield's GROW trainee (Get Real Opportunities for Work). "My journey as a Grow trainee started 3 months ago when after 2 ½ years volunteering for Project 6 came to an end. The transition was a big leap of faith as I`ve never worked in an office setting ...

HARC 2021 - Project Leads needed!

HARC is a day shelter for homeless and rootless men and women that opens between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. This year, we are moving from the Archer Project to a new venue at Victoria Hall, and will be opening to guests from 8.30-2pm. We will be serving breakfasts and lunches ...

Helping Hand

Helping Hand, a student action group at the University of Sheffield, has been providing outreach support to people on the streets in the city centre for the past few years. The group takes a lead on activities related to homelessness for the student body, organising fundraising and donation campaign...

The power of kindness!

Nobody likes to see people living on the streets. Many of us feel powerless about what we should do, or how to help for the best. Sometimes it’s easier to ignore the issue, and pretend it’s not happening in our town, near our workplace, or outside the local supermarket. Help us Help is ...

A place of safety and support

Befriend (verb): act as or become a friend to (someone), especially when they are in need of help or support. Chocolate Box is a project which exists to build authentic relationships with vulnerable women offering love, support and opportunities for change [mission statement] “Provi...

Summer appeal

Many of us are concerned by seeing people living and sleeping on the streets in the Winter time. We see stories in the media, online campaigns and all sorts of information on how to help people during periods of cold weather. In Sheffield, last winter saw the launch of the city council’s Winte...

There, no matter what

“Language is important. We use the term ‘street prostitution’, rather than ‘sex work’, because sex work implies there is a choice involved. That women choose this as a way of life. For our women, that’s simply not true. There’s no choice here.” says Ro...

Jane's story

“The thing is, prostitution makes people feel uncomfortable, so they look away. Close their eyes and ignore it. Pretend it’s not happening in their town. They think it’s the woman’s fault, and that they chose this life. When the reality is, it could be anyone. Anyone you know...

KickBack Recovery - making connections

“It feels strange to say that there were some benefits to lockdown, but for some people accessing our support, it has undoubtedly saved their lives”, explains Mick Hartley, founder of KickBack Recovery. “Being able to join groups remotely, in a safe way, and access support that wo...

Recovery successes during Covid

‘Among all the stress and heartache of the past year, we’ve also seen some real recovery successes’, explains Carl Bridden, Community Engagement Coordinator from the Sheffield Treatment and Recovery Team (START). ‘Some of our clients have really pushed on with their recovery...

Updates from Sheffield Central Neighbourhood Partnership

We'll update this blog link each month with copies of the Sheffield Central Neighbourhood Partnership Newsletter, from South Yorkshire Police. Sheffield City Centre Neighbourhood Team Newsletter Oct 2021 Sheffield City Centre Neighbourhood Team Newsletter Sept 2021 Sheffield City Centre Neig...

Nothing about us without us - ShARRP

The Sheffield Addiction Recovery Research Panel (ShARRP) is a group of individuals with personal experience of substance use as well as carers, partners or family of those who have been affected by addiction. Panel members volunteer their time to meet on a bi-monthly basis to consider and review cur...

Ben's Centre outreach during Covid-19

Ben’s Centre’s outreach team aim to patrol the streets of Sheffield city centre each week-day for a period of around 3 hours per day, this has been reduced due to covid 19 restrictions. We are currently seeing between 10 and 30 clients per day and during those interactions we try to prov...

Support from ARC, Project 6

‘I can honestly say that without support over lockdown I would have gone back to drinking, no question. I was recently sober when the pandemic hit, only about six months in and was just finding my feet and getting involved with groups and volunteering. I live alone, so there was no accountabil...

De Hood Recovery and Wellbeing

De Hood Recovery started as a recovery health and wellbeing support group in a classroom at De Hood boxing centre at the Manor, Sheffield. The founders of the group recognised a significant need for a peer support group for people suffering with substance misuse problems and began with face-to-face ...

Friendship, support and trust during Covid times

“It’s not about doing good. Not really. It’s about people. It’s about friendship, support and trust. And no matter what’s come before, all we can do is offer support, and gently get to know them, at their pace, signposting and encouraging them to access services. A need...

A place of calm at The Greens

Finding a place of calm is important for all of us, especially considering the past twelve months and ongoing lockdown. Residents at The Greens in Sheffield, who are in recovery from drugs and alcohol, perhaps have more need than most to boost their mood, reduce feelings of stress, and find ways to ...

When perceptions change about life on the streets

Help us Help spoke to Sarah Fairest, the founder of Sheffield Street Kitchen about the work of the volunteers, and how their perceptions of the issues surrounding people who beg on the streets have changed over the past few years. “I feel a bit embarrassed admitting it now, but I used to thin...

Rough Sleeper Winter Plan 20-21

Between 21 December 2020 and 31 March 2021, Sheffield City Council (SCC) has a ‘Rough Sleeper Winter Plan’ in place, to ensure that people who sleep rough are safeguarded against the winter weather and the risks posed by the pandemic. Anyone sleeping rough in Sheffield will be assessed,...

December's day of action

Several times throughout the year services come together for inter-agency outreach sessions, known as ‘days of action’. One recent day of action involved staff and volunteers from across Sheffield services, including: South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield Treatment and Recovery Team, Rough S...

The 2020 Shoebox Appeal

The Homeless Shoebox Appeal started in Sheffield in 2013, initially focusing on collecting shoeboxes for people accessing support through homelessness services. Shoeboxes were packed with toiletries, hats, gloves, Christmas treats and chocolate. The appeal grew gradually, and now supports many more ...

Thanks to Direct Imports!

"Framework Street Outreach service were lucky enough to be offered a donation of toiletries to be able to hand out to clients. We knew the delivery was going to be a large one but were shocked to receive two very large pallets. The team made a few quick phone calls and asked other services if they w...

HARC in the new normal

As with pretty much everything in 2020, Homeless and Rootless at Christmas (HARC) will look and feel different quite this year, due to the pandemic. HARC is now in it’s 41st year, having provided a safe and warm day shelter for homeless and rootless vulnerable people between Christmas and New...

Students supporting Sheffield

Students in Sheffield have played a huge part in supporting homelessness services in recent years. Whether volunteering their time at The Sunday Centre, fundraising for Cathedral Archer Project, or organising donation drives for Ben’s Centre, the student population, both from Sheffield Hallam ...

#StoriesFromTheStreet - Llewellyn's story

* warning, adult language used in this blog. The last time I saw Llewellyn was when I did the multiagency evening outreach session 14/08/2020. I remember it well. It was Friday night there had been a team of us from SYP, housing and drugs services who been out trying to engage with people on the st...

Day of action supporting people on the streets

Inter-agency working between services supporting people who are homeless or rough sleeping is well established in Sheffield. This partnership working takes many forms, including regular meetings, sharing of information, and outreach sessions around the city centre and surrounding areas. Services ha...

Kindness matters

Recently, we put out an appeal on the Help us Help social media to ask if anybody had an old laptop they no longer needed. Lots of our audience shared the post, and it was seen by Anne who lives in the Woodseats area of Sheffield. Anne’s husband was in the process of wiping her mother’s...

Rough Sleeper Survey - Oct 2020

In October 2020, Sheffield City Council and partners carried out a survey with rough sleepers to find out how we can improve services for them. Hearing their voices means that we can see how rough sleeping can affect all areas of a person’s life. The survey this time was to help us und...

Supporting vendors in a cashless society

In 2020 we are all so used to the speedy tap of a contactless card and the convenience of online payments. The switch to cash-free has exploded over the last decade, with the number of us paying in cash dwindling from 63% down to 34%. A straight-line projection based on this decrease would mean Brit...

The vital link with the streets

Parish nurses are appointed by churches to support people living and working in the parish. The nurses care for people’s wellbeing, encompassing their body, mind and spirit, by focusing on the person rather than their medical condition and addressing their immediate needs. Parish nurses work w...

Breaking the stigma of Hepatitis C

“We’ve got to get people talking about Hep C. Our aims are really simple. It’s about raising awareness, encouraging people to get tested and onto treatment, and hopefully getting them cured. It’s as simple as that really”, says Barry, Peer Support Lead with the Hepatiti...

Phil's story

“They are a really interesting bunch, the clients. Over the past four weeks I’ve started to get to know most of them a little bit, and I’m really enjoying it. Every day there’s something new.” Phil is a hugely experienced security guard. Having recently worked at the N...

Progress

Progress looks different for all of us. And for people who are homeless and sleeping rough, who may also be struggling with their mental health or an addiction, progress can often be painfully slow. Three steps forwards followed by two steps back. Missed appointments, broken promises, hours spent ta...

Alan's story

“It’s just a matter of respect”, explained Alan. “I owe Andy and the team at Archer Project so much. I used to be all about what I could get. Always taking. It used to be all about me. Proper selfish, like. Now I just want to make up for that and give something back”. ...

To our volunteers and supporters

During the outbreak of COVID the need for volunteers has never been greater. All the charities feel extremely fortunate and are eternally grateful to everyone who has been and continues to offer their time and donations to ensure the Sheffield’s most vulnerable continue to receive vital items ...

'Shelter' from the storm

Thank you to B who shared this story with us... “No I don’t think I’ll need any help. There must be a lot of people out there who need more support than me. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be alright.” Here am I coming out with these old lies again. Self-deception ...

Henry's story

Framework’s Sheffield Street Outreach Team serves two main purposes: to engage with and help rough sleepers and to quantify the extent of street homelessness in partnership with other agencies such as local authorities. Team members are at the forefront of the work to stop rough sleeping and ...

Lee's story

We asked Sheffield’s Street Outreach team from Framework to share some case studies with us about their work and the clients they have been supporting during the pandemic. Lee’s story “Lee” was first found by our service in June 2017. He was made homeless after a re...

Keeping in touch to keep clients safe

Agnes Boratyn, Welfare Worker from St Wilfrid’s Centre contacted Help us Help to tell us about one of her clients who had been unwell, and how they have stayed in touch during lockdown. Since lockdown began, Agnes and her colleagues were keeping in touch with clients over the p...

Going over and above, every day.

Nomad is a charity which exists to improve access to decent, affordable housing, help people transition out of homelessness quickly and positively, and support people to develop the skills and resilience to help them avoid homelessness in the future. Nomad provides access to shared housing in Sheffi...

Nobody missed a meal

“Nobody missed a meal on my watch!” That’s how Jill Shaw, an integral member of Sheffield’s Soup Kitchen team, turned Covid-19 Emergency Response ‘volunteer catering manager’ summed up the past 10 days. A fire at Sheffield Cathedral’s Archer Project had thr...

Support from across the city

One of the positives that’s come out of the city being on lockdown, is how it has amplified just how generous Sheffield people are, and how willing they are to donate and volunteer their time to support people in need. From right across the city, individuals and businesses alike, from all diff...

Jill's story (Weds night Soup Kitchen)

Jill from the Wednesday night Soup Kitchen tells her story to Help us Help. “We have been running Sheffield’s Soup Kitchen on a Wednesday night with a group of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers for 4 years now, providing a crucial part of the support available to homeless an...

Ben's Centre update - how we are continuing to support people in need

Coronavirus statement from Ben’s Centre Times have been very challenging for the vulnerable clients that we usually support and equally trying for Ben’s Centre as we move with the times and try to remain at the forefront of meeting client needs despite the many complications that the co...

Sunday Centre update - how we've changed our service in response to coronavirus

At the Sunday Centre, we typically serve 80-100 hot 2 course dinners to our guests each week. When coronavirus hit and the Government started to talk about social distancing, we very quickly realised that both the physical restrictions posed by the hall from which we operate, and the nature of our c...

Our Covid-19 emergency statement

Help Us Help – Covid-19 emergency response While accommodation is being provided for rough sleepers, street begging is an ongoing issue that puts both the homeless/vulnerable and wider public at risk. In addition COVID-19 poses a particular risk to many of those who use our services who may a...

Ben's story - #Storiesfromthestreets

#StoriesFromTheStreets - this is a case study that was recently shared at an event organised by VCS who are commissioned by the Local Authority to deliver outreach, supported accommodation and prevention and recovery intervention to some of the most vulnerable people in the city. Ben's story: Ben...

The Lighthouse Project

The Lighthouse Project is a small project in Burngreave, based in The Rock building, which does incredible work in the local community. Lighthouse open up their doors on Friday mornings because they know of local people that are in crisis, perhaps with addiction issues or problems with accommo...

My HARC experience

Founded in Sheffield in 1989, HARC provides a safe haven for vulnerable men and women during the day over the Christmas period when other services are closed. Based at the Archer Project, guests are served 3 meals a day, and provided with entertainment and other services. Today was m...

Progress case studies - Ben's Centre

Progress looks different to all of us. For staff working in Sheffield services and charities supporting homeless and vulnerable people, having a client sit down and accept a cup of tea could be seen as huge progress. They may have been offering that cup of tea for days, weeks or months, and constant...

Broomhall Breakfast Club

Every Friday morning between 8-10 am breakfast is served by volunteers from St Mark’s, St Andrew’s and other churches in the hall of St Andrew’s United Reformed Church on Upper Hanover Street. Now in its 18th year, the Broomhall Breakfast provides a nourishing and sustaining break...

A note of thanks

#StoriesFromTheStreets - Telling the stories you don't get to hear Recently someone who had been living on the streets put pen to paper and wrote to one of the Service Managers from Sheffield City Council’s Accommodation and Support Service, thanking the housing team and staff for all th...

Sheffield's unsung heroes - our volunteers

Services and charities that support vulnerable people living on the streets in Sheffield are full of unsung heroes; everyday people who willingly give their time to help others. Whether that’s chatting to guests at breakfast clubs, sorting donations, or helping prepare and serve meals, there&r...

More than a job!

Sheffield services and charities are staffed by motivated and compassionate people who are dedicated to helping vulnerable people move away from a life on the streets. Some of them have experienced similar issues to those being faced by their clients and this real-life experience means they complete...

What this service means to me - #StoriesFromTheStreet

One of the aims of our campaign is to share the experiences of people accessing support through Sheffield services and charities ensuring that we tell their stories authentically, as we hear them. We hope that by humanising the issues of begging and rough sleeping we can educate the general public a...

Chris' story - #StoriesFromTheStreet

Meet Chris – Sheffield born and bred. Working long hours as a security guard whilst the World Snooker Championships are on in the city centre and looking forward to a well-earned week off coming up. Lovely bloke, always willing to stop and chat and share a laugh with passers-by. Just a few ye...

Tom's story - #StoriesFromTheStreet

You may recall that we have previously shared details about the Friday Breakfast Club at St Andrews Church on Upper Hanover Street in Sheffield, along with stories about their work and the support they offer. Our project lead wanted to share a positive update about somebody whom she had met t...

Evaluation of our Christmas market stall awareness raising campaign

The Help us Help Christmas stall had a presence from 22 to 28 November 2018. Here are the main findings from our evaluation of the campaign. Main aim was to raise awareness amongst general public about how to best support those begging or sleeping rough on the streets. The initiative would not h...

Sheffield's Rough Sleeper Initiative

What is The Rough Sleeper Initiative? In March 2018 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced the creation of a new multi-disciplinary rough sleeper initiative to work intensely with local areas to tackle rough sleeping and to identify and address the bar...

Extra help for rough sleepers - a community response

Last winter, 2017-18, Sheffield City Council worked in partnership with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, the British Red Cross, and Framework to provide somewhere safe and warm for people at risk of rough sleeping, when 'weather watch' was in operation. The Fire Station is a great location, ba...

A place of sanctuary and support - Ben's Centre

Reading back over my notes from my morning spent at Ben’s Centre chatting to staff, volunteers and guests, there’s one word that stands out above all others due to the number of times I heard it spoken about the place. That word is sanctuary. Pretty much everyone I spoke to used the word...

Hand up, not hand out - Big Issue North

Hardly a day goes by without me seeing a Big Issue North vendor working, how about you? Vendors have become part of the visual fabric of the city. There’s one based at my local Tesco just down the road, and whenever I walk through the city centre, I see several dotted around in their pitches,...

Hot soup, sandwiches and much more - Sheffield Churches Soup Kitchen

From humble beginnings 31 years ago, with a couple of volunteers walking the city at night, flasks of hot soup in hands to offer to people on the streets, the Sheffield Churches Soup Kitchen now runs from a base in the city centre behind the old Primark and feeds homeless and vulnerable people every...

The Salvation Army Lifehouse; more than just a home

The Salvation Army run two Lifehouses – accommodation and tailored support for people experiencing homelessness - in the city; one for men in the city centre, on Charter Row, and a recently opened women only centre, Lincoln Court in Wincobank to the north of the city. I was a little apprehens...

Empathy, care and kindness for vulnerable women - Salvation Army Women's Lifehouse

In many services and supported accommodation providers I have visited, women, their stories and experiences are conspicuous by their absence. The Salvation Army’s women only accommodation was, therefore, a must visit for me, as I wanted to speak to women experiencing homelessness in the city a...

Food and friendship on Sundays - The Sunday Centre

On Sundays in Sheffield, homeless support services are closed. So, if you are homeless or vulnerably housed, socially excluded or in need of company, want somewhere to get warm and sit for a while amongst understanding friends, wish to enjoy a hot drink and a home cooked nourishing meal, then the on...

Our outreach teams, out on the streets, daily.

What most people see when they walk around the city centre, through the underpasses, or to catch a train, is people sat on the street, often tucked inside a sleeping bag, begging for change. Peoples’ reactions can probably be grouped into 2 main themes; * How awful, that poor person, why isn...

Support for people with complex lives - 911 Project

As I was buzzed into the 911 Project, the member of staff who let me in apologised – she was mid way through dealing with a client who’s smoke alarm was going off in his flat, and he was refusing entrance to staff who were concerned for his welfare. “We don’t often have fire ...

Holistic support that 'saves people' at the Archer Project

The Archer Project, based behind Sheffield Cathedral, started out in 1989 simply as tea and toast being provided to homeless and vulnerable people who congregated there for shelter. Now, the Project is a well known homelessness charity in the city, and describes itself as a holistic service which he...

Helping vulnerable people achieve extraordinary things -TASC

TASC, Target and Action for Safer Communities, provide supported accommodation in Sheffield to ex-offenders in the main, but also to rough sleepers. They have 110 bed spaces throughout the city, split between shared housing and single person flats, where people are offered accommodation by the Counc...

SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN NEED OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY – BLOG BY STEVE CLARK OF THE SUNDAY CENTRE

“Tis the season to be jolly” – well for most of us it is. Once the stress of shopping is over the Christmas holidays are pretty good. But what about those who are struggling, those without money and perhaps not even a home – what about them? What about people we see sat begging on the...

Join the Help Us Help Christmas campaign

We’ve joined with city centre businesses on a Christmas campaign that everyone can be part of. Find out more and get involved.... NEWS: Big businesses join campaign to tackle begging and help the homeless John Lewis, Virgin Money and McDonalds have joined a local campaign to help vu...

Beverly's story

We asked Sheffield’s Street Outreach team from Framework to share some case studies with us about their work and the clients they have been supporting during the pandemic. Beverly’s story Under current circumstances (Covid-19 pandemic) efforts have been made to ensure that all ...

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