Westminster Abbey has made a donation to The Passage, to support our homelessness prevention scheme: No Night Out.
The donation has been made possible thanks to the Abbey’s recovering visitor numbers following the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing it to more substantially support us as one of its longest-standing charity partners.
The No Night Out scheme was developed following the pandemic when we identified an effective working model – moving people into emergency accommodation, during the ‘Everyone In’ initiative. For those who are at risk of spending their first night on the streets, The Passage offers temporary accommodation whilst our Resettlement Teams work to provide tailored, one-to-one support to move them into safe and sustainable housing.
Mick Clarke, Chief Executive of The Passage, said: ‘The Passage is immensely grateful to Westminster Abbey for their incredibly generous donation as well as their ongoing commitment to our vital work. In 21st century Britain, nobody should ever have to spend a night on the streets. At a time when the number of people who are becoming street homeless is continuing to rise in all parts of the UK and most acutely here in the capital, our partnership with the Abbey and their support for our ground-breaking No Night Out scheme will help The Passage to give hope to those who thought all hope was lost.’
No Night Out has proven to be highly successful since launching in 2021, with 196 people prevented from spending their first night out on the streets. Of that number, 13 people needed further intervention to stay in accommodation, only 5 of which remain on the street.
With official figures revealing that 4,118 people slept rough on the streets of London recently, and over 2,000 individuals doing so for the very first time, the funding from Westminster Abbey has come at a crucial time.
The Passage is working closely with the Mayor of London’s office, local authorities, and charitable organisations to encourage others to adopt the No Night Out approach. Outcomes and learnings from the project will also be shared with Prince William and the Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme – to which we are a sector partner – with training and advice provided to each of the Homewards locations across the UK.
Visiting The Passage’s Resource Centre, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, said: ‘It is a privilege to be able to support the focussed and dedicated work that is done by The Passage. Homelessness plunges too many people into crisis and anxiety too often. Here is a project that will make the difference that is needed’.
Westminster Abbey is committed to an active programme of social engagement, working with marginalised communities locally, nationally and internationally.
We are tremendously grateful to the Abbey for their commitment to The Passage. Their staff have volunteered at our Resource Centre, and our service users are regularly welcomed on visits to the Abbey. Our summer Garden Party and carol service are also held at the Abbey each year.