Down Not Out

[Rincewind]

http://www.mydno.org.uk/

This is a link to a website connected with a new magazine out on May 31st. At the moment I am doing a training course for media reporting so will be looking for stories to contribute. Any ideas and suggestions would be good. The stories are mainly Leicester based and in the editorial the magazine says

We aim to bust myths, disprove preconceptions of homelessness, and try and give an impartial and accurate picture of not only the positive things that people are involved with, but also the negative things which go hand in hand with being homeless in modern society.'

I realise there may be some extreme views on this subject, but all I can say is before you make comments is to read the magazine, look at the web site then make your comments based on what you have read.

Not sure where the magazine will be distributed but I expect it will be libraries, hostels housing offices and on the street. Cannot see a price on the copy that I have so I imagine it is intended for the homeless and those involved with the support.

Whatever anyones views on the homeless, if the magazine goes someway to helping a few to get back on their feet and improving their lives it cannot be a bad thing.

[Nick]

Hi Ken,

27 Loughborough Road is Jason Court Hostel - The Managers name there is Bill. If you write to him and say what you are doing he may give you an interview - The hostel provides accommodation for homeless 16 & 17 year old young people and attempts to help them make the transition into independent or supported housing and employment training and education.

Might be a good place to start?

N.

[Rincewind]

Thanks I'll pass it on to the editorial team. With the possibility of going back to work I don't know what time I'll have. Depending on if I am allowed to use a laptop (12 hour shifts) I could do the writing atwork and the on the street stuff on my days off.

Still need a bit of training up which is what purpose of the course I'm doing. If I can combine work and this my life will be pretty hectic and dare I say it, meaningful.

[Rincewind]

[Orkneyfox]

Looks like a worthwhile initiative. What steps are being taken to involve the homeless folk themselves, and get them access to this and other modern media?

[Rincewind]

Quite a few ex-homeless are involved plus some are in hostels either working or residents. The one doing some training did all the course after being homeless. The launch of the magazine is on 31st May next Thursday. It will be distributed around Leicester and available as a download. I posted the link but the website is not officially ready until the same time as the magazine. It is also available as a download.. Not sure where the launch is. Thought it was at the library but I seem to recall Mayfield House being mentioned. Its on London Road just past the Old Horse. There is a hostel there and as they are putting refreshments on it is most likely there..

[stourbridgefox]

I was homeless for about 3 weeks.

Without going into too many details the breakdown of a relationship and a big argument with my dad ended up with me spending two nights in my old Vauxhall Vectra and about three weeks sleeping on a friend's sofa-bed. What struck me as particularly difficult was not where to sleep at night but what to do in the day. You don't know how much we all take for granted having a sofa to sit on, a TV to watch and the means to make a cup of tea whenever we want. It was definitely an eye-opener, which I think made me a better person for the perspective it gave me.

This is nine years ago now and I am quite comfortably off again. I'm not rich but I have a wife who isn't mental, our own home and lots of creature comforts. Getting from sleeping in a Vauxhall Vectra to nice, quasi-middle class existence was easier for me because there was no underlying problem of drugs or alcohol abuse.

While trying to sort myself out, I met a lot of people in the same boat, or kind of. The fact is, they had been in this particular boat for a long time. This made me think that the problem is not homelessness per se, but alcohol and drug abuse. While these people chose or were compelled to spend every penny on drugs or alcohol they were not going to get out of the hole or make good decisions. So is the problem of alcohol and drug abuse the real 'big issue' here?

This is not supposed to be a judgement on people who are homeless but rather an honest description of how the problem seemed to me.

btw - good luck on your new career. In a decent society people who helped other people would be better rewarded than they currently are.

[Rincewind]

In that poster that I posted it says 'I do not want your money. I want you to open your eyes.'

I have never been inthe situation but the causes are many reasons. The alcohol and drugs could be there before coming homeless. If nobody helps to prevent the situation escalating then it will happen. The magazine is directly at the ones on the streets. It has lists of places to go for advice, places to sleep or get a meal. Also places for money advice, benefits and job training. The ones that will be seeing the most I think will be those in hostels and available whe ever the hoeless might go for help.

This is a positive step. I don't know how much input I'll make because the possibility of returning to full time work butif I can spend a few hours of my spare time I will.

[Daggers]

Sorry Ken, I think the project and the CEO are an abject waste of money. I've read through the PDF and there is not one myth busted or preconception disproved. There are many agencies already campaigning on behalf of homeless people and on homeless issues, all this is doing is diverting funds from actually being used to support the disadvantaged. What does this offer that Big Issue doesn't? What work is being done on campaigning that isn't already tackled by MIND and Shelter?

Drug counseling, alcohol counseling, safe temporary accommodation, affordable full-time accommodation and employment is what is needed - not a leaflet.

[stourbridgefox]

The point I was trying to make was that the abject misery, anxiety and fear of having nowhere to live should provide a pretty substantial motivation to sort yourself out.

But...if getting more alcohol or drugs is a bigger motivation than finding somewhere to live then people are not going to find somewhere to live. This problem needs to be addressed first. And it is not an easy problem to overcome. I also suspect there is not much sympathy in the general population or powers that be to do anything about it, especially if you are not a teenager any more.

Anyone can find a perfect storm of circumstances which can lead them to have nowhere to live but without something which takes precedence over finding somewhere to live, they should be able to sort it pretty quickly. Not that it is pleasant while it is being sorted.

Am I wrong? Are there people who are on the streets long-term who do not have a drug or alcohol problem?

[Rincewind]

Daggers, they are working with the other agencies, they are not trying to take their place. The magazine aim is to put the homeless in a position where they can help themselves thus pointing them in the right direction. When asked what the want they will say they want to know where to find help. The myth cannot be busted if you believe it to be the truth.

[Daggers]

Daggers, they are working with the other agencies, they are not trying to take their place. The magazine aim is to put the homeless in a position where they can help themselves thus pointing them in the right direction. When asked what the want they will say they want to know where to find help. The myth cannot be busted if you believe it to be the truth.

What myth?

How does this help a homeless person? It doesn't give them access to support, it reduces not increases service provision.

How does this magazine enable those with mental health issues to "help themselves"? Personally, I find the entire notion that they can to be imbecilic.

In its current form it will not serve to broaden public awareness either as it offers a poor read. I'm totally lost to understand its point.

[Rincewind]

I have a copy of the printed version. It has a contact page of services available and mentions Shelter and Action Homeless as well as addresses where to go during the day and night for help. The online version is not officially operational until the Magazine is launched next Thursday.

Down and out is a community news agency recently set up by a group of people with experience of homelessness and housing issues. We wish to pave the way in abolishing ridiculous stereotypers put upon the homeless by a society who believe that no longer having a roof of your own renders you incapable of intelligence, of productiveness and dignity.

[Rincewind]

On BBC3 now Britains hidden Homeless