Pavement Magazine

How compassion and group effort make a difference in outreach. By Emdad Rahman There is no better time to care than here and now. Homelessness is rarely a single event and it is often the final chapter in a long sequence of hardship, where illness, family breakdown, unemployment, rising living costs, debt, trauma and poor mental health quietly gather until stability disappears. Behind every sleeping bag in a doorway is a life that once held ordinary routines, ambitions and relationships.

Taking lessons from the Buddha to learn from the past and be in the present, in order to enjoy the future. By Mat Amp “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha. For me, it’s always been a struggle to balance the equation of caring and taking part in society without getting overwhelmed by the gravity of it all.

An introduction to Unseen Tours, the group employing people with experience of homelessness to tell their stories of London. By Tyffany Choi Unseen Tours is a social enterprise that trains and employs people with lived experience of homelessness to become tour guides in London. We are a small team with a big mission: to challenge perceptions of homelessness by telling stories that are not often heard. The global issue The prevalence of homelessness is something that all countries have in common.

How effective are council efforts to protect and support people experiencing homelessness during a heatwave? Investigation by Liam Geraghty and the Pavement team A heatwave can be uncomfortable for most of us but if you’re homeless on the street then it can be a matter of life and death. People sleeping rough during heatwaves are receiving inconsistent support from councils, a joint-investigation from Big Issue and the Pavement magazine has revealed.

Why we need to start seeing the person, not the tag. Thoughts by Emdad Rahman We are all given labels at some point in our lives. Some are harmless, some helpful. Others quietly shape how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. When those labels turn negative, repetitive and deeply personal, they don’t just describe a person. They define them, limit them, and, for many, slowly push them to the margins of society. Nowhere is this more visible and more damaging than in the story of homelessness.

© Matt Turtle An invitation to the first ever Street Legends Chess Cup, an open-to-all chess event in London’s Museum of Homelessness in July. By organiser Matt Turtle Every Tuesday at the Museum of Homelessness in Finsbury Park, we have our community day. People come for all sorts of reasons – whether it’s socialising, digging, gardening, getting stuck into some art or dropping by for some food. Community Tuesday, as it’s called, is at the heart of what we do (11am – 3pm each week).

If you are a fundraising, media, creative or corporate professional, the Pavement needs your talents. We are launching a new and transformational campaign group consisting of passionate individuals who can help us promote a campaign for sustainable support. If you are a fundraising, media, creative or corporate professional, the Pavement needs your talents.

The harsh reality of winter and how communities in Brighton have come together to provde hope and support. By Varun Akaash Prabhaker Winter is more or less behind us. I cannot quite say it is over, because in the UK there always seems to be a little winter lingering in the air. Along the south coast, the past few months have been especially harsh. Strong winds, grey skies and biting cold have shaped the season. For many people, winter is simply an inconvenience. For others, it is a daily struggle.

Motivational words to remind you that it’s ok to feel overwhelmed, bring things back to basics and continue on the path of progress. By Karla Ortiz It can be hard to think about your own needs when they feel like too much. Sometimes it feels like you need everything at once, housing, money, stability, purpose. Because it’s all tangled together, you don’t even know what you’re asking for anymore. You might hear yourself thinking “I need too much.

An interview with the author of a new book on homelessness in America. By Sheryle Thomas US-based writer and activist Patrick Markee has written a book on homelessness. Placeless: Homelessness in the New Gilded Age, was published by Melville House UK in early December last year and draws on Markee’s experience volunteering in New York. In January, Markee spoke to the Pavement about himself, his book and homelessness in the US. Who is Patrick Markee and what prompted your book?