Help us bring cheer with Crisis at Christmas!

National homelessness charity Crisis is calling on therapists to provide treatment for homeless people at its temporary centres this Christmas.

In its 50^th anniversary year, Crisis at Christmas runs from 22 – 29 December 2017 with centres set to open across London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Coventry and Edinburgh. As well as warmth, companionship and hot meals, guests will receive healthcare and specialist advice on housing, work and benefits.

The therapy service is hugely valuable for guests, giving them access to treatment they may otherwise miss out on during the rest of the year. With 229 guests having therapy treatment across all centres last year, Crisis is calling for qualified therapists to provide assessment, treatment and advice and for student therapists to assist in running the clinics.

There are now 307,000 people sleeping rough, or in temporary housing – that’s around one in every 206 people.

Crisis at Christmas centres are run by thousands of volunteers from all walks of life with registration now open at crisis.org.uk/volunteer. You can also find out more information about volunteering on our website.

Here’s what people are saying:

Pandora Knocker, Service Organiser for Physiotherapy, will be volunteering for the fifth time this year. She said:

“Everybody has a right to healthcare and it’s great that I can bring my skills as a physio to Crisis at Christmas. It feels good to be part of something that can really make a difference.”

One in four homeless people will face spending Christmas alone this year. With the homelessness crisis worsening, Crisis says the centres are needed now more than ever.

Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said:

“Without our volunteers, Crisis at Christmas simply wouldn’t exist to help provide a warm, safe place to those with nowhere to call home.

“It’s because of their generosity that we can bring thousands of people friendship, support, and life-changing services each and every Christmas.

“And though we work all year round to help people experiencing homelessness – we know that the Christmas season should be a special time for everyone and that no one should have to spend it alone.

“So as our charity turns 50, we will work harder than ever to make homelessness a thing of the past. And until then our volunteers will remain at the heart of what we do.”

About the organisation:

Crisis at Christmas

Crisis at Christmas is a unique volunteer effort that provides immediate help for homeless people at a critical time of year. It is only made possible through the collective effort and generosity of thousands of volunteers, individuals, community organisations and companies who donate money, time, skills, goods and services.

This year guests will be welcomed at over 13 centres across Britain and offered food, clothing, health services and a chance to relax. But the work does not end there. They offer their guests individual advice and support and encourage them to go to their year-round service centres in the New Year.

In 2016, they welcomed 4,706 guests across London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Coventry and Newcastle, supported by more than 10,859 volunteers.

About Crisis

Crisis is the national charity for homeless people. They help people directly out of homelessness, and campaign for the social changes needed to solve it altogether.

FHT Members – we know that many of you have been kind enough to support Crisis in previous years. Please let the FHT know if you support Crisis this Christmas, as we’d welcome a short write-up for International Therapist.