Adam's Views on Homelessness

You can sign the petition by clicking here.

If you look closely you'll just peak the 'Kindness Kills' Campaign poster on the shop window behind Adam. Adam has chosen to sell the free local magazine offered to him by a kind publisher with a heart to help the local homeless - tomorrow I will post details of the "NerveMeter" magazine and it's philosophy

Adam became homeless when he was 16 and walked out of his family home. Ever since he has been facing the rough end of sleeping rough. He has had experience of 4 facilities within the Bournemouth homeless sheltering programs - which he briefly shared with me.

He has stayed in Fortuna, Robert Gabriel, Harbour and most recently the YMCA. His experiences have been varied - some of them have been "too intrusive" wanting to put tabs on his movements and gather copious amounts of information daily. Some have been the opposite "hardly engaging" at all. Like so many the YMCA have recently turned him away on moral principle.

Whatever the journey, Adam finds himself amongst the homeless at a young age - without strong prospects of a permanent solution - waiting lists are too long and too abstract for present needs.

I asked Adam what provisions are most needed by the homeless on a daily support basis - since I am considering fund-raising for the Winter if attempts to re-open the shelter fail. He listed:

Sleeping Bags/bedding

Tents

Clothing - socks & pants

Toiletries

Small Drinks Flasks

And a rare someone prepared to offer a little free hot or cold water top up.

He showed me a nearly empty drinking water bottle in need of re-filling and testified that it's incredibly hard to find a facility willing to allow him to replenish with fresh water.

We need to re-open the homeless night shelter for £3 per night

You can sign my petition by clicking here.

Homeless Petition to Re-Open the St Pauls Night Shelter.

You can sign my petition by clicking here.

Call To Action!

I've started the petition "Bournemouth Council: Open back the St Paul's Lane £3 per night Homeless Shelter" and need your help to get it off the ground.
Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? 

Here's why it's important:

As Winter is approaching the local Bournemouth homeless have no options for getting off the streets for the night. Furthermore Bournemouth Council have invested in a 'Kindness Kills' Campaign warning local residents not to give money directly to the homeless - claiming that it can encourage their addictions and destitute lifestyle. Instead the Council advises people to give via a text number connected to the Council. If the Council are now directly collecting public funds to help the homeless as they claim, they have every reason to act responsibly and open back up the homeless shelter that they have recently closed. They have provided no alternative emergency shelter options. Many of the street homeless are also denied any benefits or inclusion on housing lists because they are being deemed to have 'no local connection'. If for example you have been moved around as a foster child and don't have relatives, or a job etc. in the area, you are permanently denied assistance. Not all homeless substance abuse, all homeless need shelter as human beings.

You can sign my petition by clicking here.

Thanks!
Bourne Homeless

Bournemouth Echo - 2 Homeless people found Dead within a week 27.8.14

"TWO young men were found dead in separate Bournemouth car parks within the space of a week.

The body of 21-year-old David Atkinson was discovered at a private car park behind the Dalkeith Arcade on the morning of Thursday, August 21.

It has since emerged a homeless man, believed to be a 27-year-old called Patrick, was found dead at the Winter Gardens car park the previous week.

Neither of the deaths are being treated as suspicious.

Describing his son as a kind and conscientious young man, David Atkinson’s father, Neil,said the family were devastated.The father-of-four said his son, a former pupil at Winton Boys’ School, had a breakdown last month but seemed to be turning things around.

“Everything was very positive,” he said.

“He was on new medication and was seeing a new doctor. He had spoken to his girlfriend that evening and they were planning to see each other the next day.

“He was turning it around.”

The youngster, who had studied car mechanics at Bournemouth and Poole College, was last seen leaving the YMCA hostel where he was staying at around 3am on Friday morning.

He would often go and watch the sun rise from the car park at Richmond Gardenswhen he couldn’t sleep, Mr Atkinson said.

Less than a week before David’s death, the body of a homeless man was discovered by a member of the public at the Winter Gardens car park at around 11am on Friday, August 15.“We think he may have slipped but we just don’t know what happened,” he said.

Anastasia Wells, founder of the homeless support group Street Light Bournemouth, said Patrick, affectionately known as Paddy, was a friendly man who was a familiar face at the group’s soup kitchen.

The 23-year-old said: “I remember the first time I met him I was feeding the homeless and he came up to us and said ‘And what’s this here then?’ “He did make us laugh. He was usually very quiet and liked to keep himself to himself,” she added.

A spokesman from the Coroner’s Office said efforts are being made to trace the man’s next of kin.

Post mortems are yet to be carried out on both bodies." Bournemouth Echo 27.8.14

A sinister turn that we need to head off.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=21+yr+old+david+atkinson+died+bournemouth&rlz=1C1OPRA_enGB571GB575&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aWT9U8XPBcPgavnagJAH&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1366&bih=624#q=dead+homeless&tbm=isch&imgdii=_