Dossing the streets

Hobbit

Hobbit

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This last 4 weeks has seen HID and I doing more big town and city centre visits than we've done for many years, visiting family and friends. Many of those visits have been to places we know well. This run of visits we've stayed in city centre hotels as opposed to with family and friends.

I am deeply saddened by the numbers dossing down in shop doorways on a night. There's a few more beggars than I'm used seeing, but not many. The number of homeless in shocking.

If this is as endemic as it appears to be we have a shocking, growing divide in the U.K. When did this happen? Who's allowed this to happen?
 
Hobbit said:
This last 4 weeks has seen HID and I doing more big town and city centre visits than we've done for many years, visiting family and friends. Many of those visits have been to places we know well. This run of visits we've stayed in city centre hotels as opposed to with family and friends.

I am deeply saddened by the numbers dossing down in shop doorways on a night. There's a few more beggars than I'm used seeing, but not many. The number of homeless in shocking.

If this is as endemic as it appears to be we have a shocking, growing divide in the U.K. When did this happen? Who's allowed this to happen?
Click to expand...

No idea who's allowed it and sometimes its a personal decision. It's an area that definitely deserves serious investment and support as it's not just the fact they're homeless but the associated health issues this brings and the frequent need for medical help, and the costs involved in that. There is definitely a larger number in Reading over the last few months and Northampton was also full of them when I was there just before Christmas. It's a complex issue though and not something that's easily solved
 
I was in Reading early in the morning last week and I too was taken aback and very saddened by seeing the vey same thing.

It seems that there is a massive yawning divide in this country between those extremely well off and those forced into having to rely on food banks and seek shelter in shop doorways to survive.
 
Seems to be a younger age group as well Bri, the days of the stereotypical tramp being an old bloke have long gone.
 
Hobbit said:
This last 4 weeks has seen HID and I doing more big town and city centre visits than we've done for many years, visiting family and friends. Many of those visits have been to places we know well. This run of visits we've stayed in city centre hotels as opposed to with family and friends.

I am deeply saddened by the numbers dossing down in shop doorways on a night. There's a few more beggars than I'm used seeing, but not many. The number of homeless in shocking.

If this is as endemic as it appears to be we have a shocking, growing divide in the U.K. When did this happen? Who's allowed this to happen?
Click to expand...

The Tories of course, because under their philosophy the fear of ending up homeless is supposed to make you work harder! For the already very rich, throwing lots of money at them is also supposed to incentivise them!
 
delc said:
The Tories of course, because under their philosophy the fear of ending up homeless is supposed to make you work harder! For the already very rich, throwing lots of money at them is also supposed to incentivise them!
Click to expand...

You talk some crap you do!

There are many young people on the streets for various reasons and politics has nothing to do with it. Some have had problems at home, some actually struggle for various reasons living in what we think is a normal life and actually feel happier on the streets. There are a lot of ex-servicemen on the street that again have failed to adapt to civilian life and have become nomads of the street and turn down opportunities of accommodation. Mental health problems, relationship problems and even abuse at home can drive young people to the streets, some just can't cope with life and the responsibilities that goes with it, to point the figure at ANY political party is pathetic because some of them will be on the streets by choice, not all of them obviously but some become institutionalised to that way of life and no amount of help other than what is handed to them whilst begging will change them.
 
I think I posted about this a few months ago when my good lady and I were last in Edinburgh. Evey doorway in prices street had someone sleeping rough. It wasn't like that when I went you Uni there. It was also pretty bad in Manchester when I was there in Dec.

Its worrying!
 
Yup the same in Mansfield when I was down a couple of weeks ago, yup there were so young uns but also, not of this country.
 
So why is it happening. Cant be a shortage of job opportunities as so many are coming here from abroad and managing to get jobs and keep off the streets. Is it a matter of taking the course of least resistance and rather than make the effort to do something that gives a better life just letting go and accepting this form of existence. I understand the case where someone is suffering from mental health issues that overpower logical thought otherwise if someone decides they prefer to live this way then what exactly can be done for them other than charitable support.
 
Social welfare in the U.K. is crumbling and this is just one of many symptoms we're seeing as a result of an increasingly sneery, self-entitled and materialistic society that looks down upon the less fortunate.

I think it's going to get a lot worse in the next few years. It's sickening. :(
 
Jimaroid said:
Social welfare in the U.K. is crumbling and this is just one of many symptoms we're seeing as a result of an increasingly sneery, self-entitled and materialistic society that looks down upon the less fortunate.

I think it's going to get a lot worse in the next few years. It's sickening. :(
Click to expand...
But why is it failing. Is there more demand through an entitlement attitude than the system can supply.
 
Jimaroid said:
Social welfare in the U.K. is crumbling and this is just one of many symptoms we're seeing as a result of an increasingly sneery, self-entitled and materialistic society that looks down upon the less fortunate.

I think it's going to get a lot worse in the next few years. It's sickening. :(
Click to expand...

Good post.
Some folk need to look into the effects of benefits sanctions.
 
just a thought...

Why are the people in favour of open door immigration, the same ones screaming about shortages of public services?

If a Golf Soc of 48 players appears on your 1st tee at 9am tomorrow just as the members are about go out, expect congestion!!

Don't blame Thatcher for only building ONE first tee! :D
 
Jimaroid said:
Social welfare in the U.K. is crumbling and this is just one of many symptoms we're seeing as a result of an increasingly sneery, self-entitled and materialistic society that looks down upon the less fortunate.

I think it's going to get a lot worse in the next few years. It's sickening. :(
Click to expand...

Agree with that but there are still lots of good people around with decent standards.
Last year I offered to help at my local food bank and was very politely told that they already had far too many volunteers and a big 'waiting list'.
 
Great majority of people in UK have no savings given the cost of living against wages and are only 1 or 2 pay packets away from destitution should they lose their job, perhaps some of the people on the streets are victims of this?
Life is tough for so many, all you can do is try your best and hope family can assist if you fall on hard times but it's not easy, never was but seems harder than ever nowadays. Social security doesn't seem to work like it once did.
 
maxfli65 said:
Great majority of people in UK have no savings given the cost of living against wages and are only 1 or 2 pay packets away from destitution should they lose their job, perhaps some of the people on the streets are victims of this?
Life is tough for so many, all you can do is try your best and hope family can assist if you fall on hard times but it's not easy, never was but seems harder than ever nowadays. Social security doesn't seem to work like it once did.
Click to expand...
Are you suggesting we don't have a welfare system in this country. We pay a very large amount of money in Welfare to make life more comfortable for people on low wages or unemployed, why do you think people from around the world want to come to the UK to live, many countries give next to nothing to people out of work.

I do question the comments made that run down our country as being uncaring to people going through hard times, I would suggest it's better now than it's ever been.
 
SocketRocket said:
Are you suggesting we don't have a welfare system in this country. We pay a very large amount of money in Welfare to make life more comfortable for people on low wages or unemployed, why do you think people from around the world want to come to the UK to live, many countries give next to nothing to people out of work.

I do question the comments made that run down our country as being uncaring to people going through hard times, I would suggest it's better now than it's ever been.
Click to expand...


I would suggest that we now have a 'system' that allows [more than ever] too many Philip Greens to prosper...
 
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