THE PAVEMENT
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Mission Statement
The Pavement is a tiny UK charity which has been producing a free magazine for homeless people since 2005. Our aim is to - improve the lives of people affected by homelessness; enable them to make informed choices, access services and their rights; and to raise awareness in the wider population about the impact of homelessness.
About This Cause
'the Pavement' is a free bi-monthly magazine (and website) for homeless people. In London we currently deliver 6,500 copies to homelessness service providers (over 70 hostels, day centres, homeless surgeries, soup-runs and libraries) who in turn give them directly to their service users. the Pavement also delivers 2,000 copies of a Scottish version of the magazine to 60 homelessness service providers in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Our little magazine provides benefit to people experiencing homelessness by: signposting sources of support, advice and shelter through ‘The List’ (a regularly updated and detailed directory of local homelessness services) offering tailored advice from professionals within the homelessness sector; acting as a forum for people who are and have been homeless to share their experiences, views and advice to help overcome isolation and encourage involvement. By using volunteer and homeless journalists, illustrators and sector professionals, we’ve achieved a balance of news, features, humour and service listings unlike any other publication. Our journalists – most with lived experience of homelessness, cover the news from the streets or news affecting the streets, and we often deal with topics ignored by the mainstream press, that are relevant to their lives and the challenges they face. We know that people who have been homeless have unique insight into the experience. Therefore, hearing from ‘peers’ who have been there offers a unique level of empathy and connection, unlike mainstream publications that exclude this group of people who aren’t living a ‘normal’ lifestyle. In addition to the magazine from time to time we produce one-off booklets on topics of interest to our homeless readership and the workers and volunteers that support them. The most recent of which is one on 'Health & Wellbeing In A Crisis' which has been distributed to 6 UK cities (London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Newcastle and Greater Manchester). This is a response to the fact that an incredibly large proportion of people who are experiencing homelessness, most of whom are extremely poor, are disproportionately impacted by Covid-19, compared to the general population. Self-isolating and social distancing are both extremely difficult for people who are experiencing homelessness. Many of the services they have relied on have switched to online and life can be very boring. While for those with addictions an unplanned withdrawal of treatment can even be life-threatening . 'Health & Wellbeing In A Crisis' is a 32pp A6 booklet full of ideas to stay mentally and physically strong. It also contains information on how to access benefits and find reliable sources at a time when scams, urban myths and fake news have escalated. Mainstream media ideas of how to relax or stay busy indoors are not always possible for our readers who are temporarily housed, perhaps in a hotel room with just a TV and maybe a kettle. The booklet has loads of suggestions for staving off boredom with or without WiFi and also shares practical advice for those with addictions. There are tips to keep mental health strong and a list of contacts for calling when some extra support is needed.