Following the death of a local homeless man, YMCA Milton Keynes is joining forces with citizens:mk in a bid to support efforts to end the homeless crisis in Milton Keynes.
YMCA Milton Keynes and Citizens:mk supporters will be supporting Sleep Easy 2018 on 16th March in CMK, and will also be hosting an Assembly to which power holders, including the Leader of MK Council, have been invited. The event will mark the launch of Citizens:mk ‘House the Homeless’ campaign.
Speaking on behalf of Citizens:mk community organiser Tom Bulman said: “Homelessness has been a concern of our member institutions for a number of years, but due to the complexity of the problem our alliance has found it difficult in the past to put in place an effective campaign. This year we think we have got the leaders and the goals to helpfully support and challenge those already looking at how to address the problem.”
YMCA Milton Keynes is inviting supporters to sleep out overnight in a small tent, or under cardboard, to briefly experience what it is like not to have a bed and a roof over your head. Participants will also be raising funds to support YMCA Milton Keynes engagement, support and learning programme.
People who want to take part are asked to pre-register by going to Eventbrite.co.uk and searching for ‘YMCA Milton Keynes Sleep Easy 2018’ – or by contacting YMCA Milton Keynes on 01908 295600.
“We have seen a growing number of homeless people sleeping out in Central Milton Keynes and other parts of the borough,” said YMCA Milton Keynes chief executive, Simon Green. “But the street homeless are just the visible tip of a much larger problem that is disproportionately affecting young people.
“There are young people sleeping in cars, sofa surfing or living in unsafe situations where, for example, they may be subject to physical or sexual assault – but have nowhere else to go. Last year YMCA was contacted by over 1,000 young people – but we were only able to directly help some 350,” said Simon.
But having a bed and a safe place to stay is just the start for many of the young people who approach YMCA. Many suffer poor mental health as a direct result of the trauma they have had to face. Others will have had a disrupted education and may not have been able to secure stable employment.
YMCA Milton Keynes works with its residents to make them feel valued – to give them a sense of belonging and purpose in life. The formerly homeless young adults learn independent living skills while living in the hostel before graduating to the flats, where they can put these skills into practice. There are activity programmes designed to improve physical and mental health – YMCA Milton Keynes has its own mental health practitioner, funded by a grant from Milton Keynes Community Foundation, available to provide support and counselling to people who need it. And YMCA staff help residents attain basic educational qualifications and seek out training and employment opportunities.
The Citizens:mk ‘House the Homeless’ campaign has a number of goals including supporting the delivery of the Milton Keynes Homelessness Partnerships objectives; providing school students with an opportunity to engage directly with people who are sleeping rough – and developing practical activities to support them; publishing a ‘Citizens’ Guide’ to interacting with street homeless; organising a workshop to explore diversity issues among the homeless population; and exploring the establishment of a Community Land Trust in Milton Keynes, that will enable the building of truly affordable housing.
“The campaign is necessarily wide ranging and ambitious,” said campaign leader Lawrence Morgan, “because what we are dealing with is a complex issue that we have to address on many different fronts.
“It has been particularly heart-warming to see the concern that local school students have shown towards people who are homeless and their desire to do something practical to support them.”
