Homelessness

‘We all have our own image of “the homeless”, but spend some time talking to the clients of a hostel or day centre and you will discover that the great majority of people who lose the roof over their head do so as a result of a personal spiral that started in a place that any one of us could find ourselves. A big family row, maybe, or losing a job, too much drink, or depression or other mental illness. One way or another the wheels have fallen off, and it can be very difficult to get them back on again. The sense of exclusion and despair that comes from not having a home just intensifies the vicious circle. There is lots that can be done to help people avoid the “homelessness trap”, as well as helping those who have fallen into it to break out. There have been some great success stories, and we need more. The more examples that employers, authorities and homeless people themselves see of people finding their way back, the easier it will be to convince people that homeless doesn’t mean hopeless. And that is more than half the battle.’
Philip Richards, partner and Business in the Community/Business Action on Homelessness leadership group member

We decided to target homelessness in 2000 because it was something that many of the people who work in our London and other offices saw on a daily basis on their way to and from work, and we recognised we could make a positive contribution to tackling.

We have developed a multifaceted approach, supporting a variety of initiatives with the overall aim of making a lasting impact by helping break the cycle of homelessness. To this end, we provide work experience and pro bono legal advice, help build homes through fundraising and volunteer activities, and sponsor and contribute to the work of campaigning organisations, such as Shelter.

Local team challenges and house-building for children orphaned by AIDS

Many of our offices support team challenges for homeless people throughout the year – cleaning up hostels, serving food and helping with interview skills. We also send teams to help build homes for vulnerably housed people through Habitat for Humanity. Between 2001-2007, around 530 people from our offices have built 38 homes with the charity in Poland, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka and London, and raised over £600,000 for the charity. The house building project in Sri Lanka followed the 2004 Tsunami. Since 2004, our team challenges in South Africa have been for families affected by HIV and AIDS.

Work experience, job coaching and legal advice in London

In London, between 2000-2007 we have supported a programme providing work experience, job coaching, informal support schemes and pro bono legal advice. Central to the programme is Ready for Work, through which some 126 homeless people have gained work experience at the firm; 14 have taken up permanent work here, and others elsewhere.

We also give pro bono legal advice to charities working with homeless people and, on a weekly basis, to homeless people at a drop-in legal advice centre.

In October 2007, we announced our £232,000, three-year sponsorship of Shelter’s Keys to the Future initiative, which aims to end child homelessness in the UK. With our support, the charity is establishing the Children’s Legal Service to fight for the rights of children and young people to have their housing needs met.

In 2007, we received two awards for our work with homeless people: The Law Society of England and Wales’ Excellence in Social Responsibility Award and a Business in the Community Big Tick.

‘The Buthelezi family in Willowfountain have never had decent shelter, having always lived in houses made of mud and wattle. The head of the family, 82-year-old Thokozile Buthelezi, had five children, but two of them died many years ago, leaving her with five grandchildren to look after. As well as these, there are another four grandchildren in the household to look after. ...hope is glimmering for the family with the commencement of the Special Needs Housing Project. This project seeks to provide shelter for families with orphans and for child-headed households in this community. ...The UK volunteers will spend a week on the site, build the structures where a foundation has been laid, and then leave it for another contingent to finish off. Local people have been involved to mould their skills in construction.’
The Witness monthly newspaper, June 2007

Click here for details of our programme in London, Mainland Europe, Asia and Middle East, and the US.