SUPPORT FOR THE CHARTER
BROAD SUPPORT FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS, BUSINESS, MPS, LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND FAITH AND COMMUNITY GROUPS FOR LONDON CHARTER TO END ROUGH SLEEPING
There is already broad multi-sector support for the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping with local authorities (LAs), MPs, business representatives, charities, large and small, and individuals adding their names.
Seventy-five organisations have signed the Charter since it launched in December 2023. Most are homelessness organisations. They include The Passage, The Connection at St Martin’s, St Mungo's, Stand Up Speak Out UK, Thames Reach, SPEAR London and Hope Worldwide. Several homelessness shelters, day centres and outreach organisations have added their names: Robes, Glass Door Homeless Charity, the Baron’s Court Project, Bexley Winter Shelter and Nightwatch.
There is also support from health and transport sectors: Tower Hamlets GP Care Group, NHS Transformation Partners in Health and Care, Homeless Health CIC, Pathway, START Homeless Outreach Teams (South London & Maudsley NHS) – health; and Network Rail Southern – transport.
And there is backing for the Charter from business including business improvement districts (BIDs): the Northbank, Victoria and London Heritage Quarter BIDs. It is hoped other BIDs will follow suit.
Other supporters include faith groups Merton Faith in Action Homelessness Project and Sant’Egidio; and charities representing LGBTQ+ communities – Micro Rainbow, a charity acting for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, and akt, securing safe homes and better futures for LGBTQ+ youth.
MPs from both main parties to have formally signed the London Charter are: Sir Stephen Timms (Lab) for West Ham; Florence Eshalomi (Lab Co-op) for Vauxhall, and Nickie Aiken (Con) for Cities of London and Westminster. Amongst London boroughs, Barking and Dagenham (Lab), Lambeth (Lab), Westminster (Lab) and Richmond (Lib Dem) have officially signed up, with others expected to follow.
On signing, Councillor Darren Rodwell Leader of Barking and Dagenham, the first London borough to sign, said:
“Strong partnerships and coordinated action are needed more than ever before. Boroughs have a pivotal role to play.”
Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham said:
“The Charter outlines how we can all do our bit to help. I urge everyone to take a look, and see how to make a difference.”
Corporate signatories include Deliveroo, TriGuard and Vestre Limited. Among media signatories are founding partner Bloomberg Associates, Dartmouth Films and Showcase Limited.
The London Charter to End Rough Sleeping began with a small group of organisations and city government officials – the Connection at St Martin’s, Groundswell, Housing Justice, The Passage, YMCA St. Paul’s, Bloomberg Associates, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London Councils — who wanted to engage better with the community and build a bigger movement around the goal to end rough sleeping.