A recent outreach event in Leicester has highlighted both the impact of community‑led support for homeless families and the growing challenge of sustaining that help as demand continues to rise in the new year.
The pre‑Christmas event was organised by Leicester City Council and delivered in collaboration with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s (LPT’s) registered charity Raising Health, alongside Action Homeless, Mama’s Pathway, Live Well Leicester and LPT’s Homeless Mental Health Support Service (HMHS).
Funding secured by Raising Health enabled the event to take place and brought partners together to support families experiencing homelessness.
Families were able to engage directly with frontline services, receive advice and enjoy refreshments in a relaxed and inclusive environment. Around 60 people attended the free event, with children able to take part in themed arts and crafts, receive gifts and spend time in a space designed to feel safe and positive.
The outreach event was funded through an engagement grant from the LLR Integrated Care Board (ICB), with additional contributions from the Leicestershire and Rutland Masonic Foundation and the Dunelm Foundation.
Donations of blankets, care bags and children’s items helped ensure families left with practical support as well as advice and guidance.
Clinical psychologist Suzanne Elliott, who works with the HMHS, said: “It was heartwarming to see so many families attend the event. We were pleased to provide toys, presents, clothes and toiletries, as well as bears and blankets, to children and their parents.
“The activities and welcoming space enabled meaningful conversations with parents while children were safely engaged, helping us to build connections that can often be difficult to establish for services like ours.”
While the outreach event demonstrated the value of joined‑up working, the funding that supported it has now ended. Demand for support among homeless families in Leicester remains high and January is widely recognised as a particularly challenging period, as financial pressures increase and access to charitable support often declines after Christmas.
Raising Health is calling for donations to its Homeless Mental Health Service appeal to help ensure outreach work, including community events, can continue.
To donate to the appeal, please visit the Raising Health website: https://lptnhs.com/HMHSAppeal