Council staff volunteers who worked through Christmas week to help rough sleepers and people at risk of homelessness in Sandwell have been praised for their sterling efforts.

They helped 46 people by feeding and rehousing some of the people at risk, preventing one from becoming a rough sleeper and getting medical assistance for another.

Housing officers, YMCA, welfare advisors, the Housing First project delivered by Accord and Cranstoun’s clinical nurses were involved in the work. Cranstoun’s nurses were available to carry out health checks and provide medical support, with drug and alcohol workers giving advice. Councillor Joanne Hadley, cabinet member for homes, said:

“This was a great effort by volunteers who worked through the Christmas period to help people to get a little support and help during this period. By working with partnerships involving the volunteers were able to secure accommodation and a tailor-made service and support to our most vulnerable clients.

“In Sandwell we are making a sustained effort to reduce rough sleeping and this work over the festive season shows the commitment of these volunteers to bring a little joy into the lives of people at risk.

“And of course no-one should be sleeping rough over Christmas and the team ensured that some individuals who would have been on their own were helped.”

Councillor Hadley said volunteers had met one former rough sleeper last week, who 10 months ago did not want to engage with council services. But he told them he had now signed his own tenancy and was doing extremely well.

You can contact the council online via the council's website or the streetlink website, or by telephone on 0121 368 1166.