Bournemouth rough sleeper says homelessness charity 'saved his life'

Faithworks is marking 20 years of work from their base in Poole

Author: Jamie GuerraPublished 2nd Jul 2024

House prices and a lack of accommodation in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has resulted in more people becoming homeless.

There has been an increase of families in emergency accommodation and the number of people sleeping rough across the BCP area.

According to the latest findings, BCP has the third highest number of rough sleepers in the country with 89.

Alistair Doxat-Purser, CEO of homelessness charity Faithworks, told us: “Many people are struggling to afford their rent or even stay in their accommodation.

“We also know that some of the places the people we support stay in do not offer a good standard of living.”

The Poole-based charity recently celebrated its 20th anniversary but say they are needed “now more than ever” as the situation is “only getting worse”.

Faithworks will soon open their fourth ‘move-on home’ to give homeless people a sense of community and friendship.

Former rough sleeper and now ‘move-on home’ occupant, Joe feels the house has helped prepare him for independent living.

He told us: “It's helped me stay clean, off of drugs and because everyone here is in similar position as me, we all get on well and understand the struggles we’re experiencing.”

Joe credits the charity with ‘saving his life’ and urges every rough sleeper in the region to seek help and guidance from the charity.

Alistair said: “People have much more complex needs nowadays, so yes you may have someone who’s experiencing homelessness but they might also struggle with addiction or have confidence issues.

“We try and take time to listen to people’s individual story rather than taking a generic approach because we’re trying to find the best way to help them move forward and truly understand their hopes and desires.”

Faithworks helps homeless people get back into work, find permanent residence while offering around the clock support.

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