'Crisis' warning after 117 helped off streets

A homelessness charity in Cornwall said it launched its winter services "earlier than planned" this year due to an increase in demand.

St Petrocs said it helped a total 213 people experiencing homelessness in November - of which 117 were sleeping outside.

The charity said its winter service provides additional room spaces and emergency accommodation opportunities which were used by 33 people between 1 November and 13 December.

It said all of its 165 rooms were fully occupied "highlighting the overwhelming demand for services and urgency of addressing this crisis".

Sarah, who is now being supported by the charity's winter service, said she was living out of a bag for about 10 months.

She said she was forced to sleep outside on one occasion, but was unable to fall asleep as she was "scared".

"It was good to actually talk to people about what I'd been through," she said.

"I didn't expect everything to move so quickly. The day I came here to speak to somebody it was 'we've got somewhere for you'.

"It was really overwhelming at that point."

St Petrocs chief executive, Henry Meacock, said the charity always wants to get people indoors "irrespective of the weather".

"Spending any amount of time outside and having to sleep outside is really detrimental to someone's health," Mr Meacock said.

Outreach worker Sofia Roder said it was "incredibly difficult" for people who have their "whole lives condensed into two Tesco bags for life".

"Being able to give people clean clothes with some toiletries, or a holdall, or a nice bag and not just a bag for life, makes a big difference to people's self esteem and how they see themselves," she said.

She said it was "important" for people to take a rest and think about what their next step will be.

"It's incredibly difficult to put one foot in front of the other sometimes when you're stuck in that rut," she said.

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