When his wife died suddenly 18 months ago, Piotrek’s life collapsed. He lost everything and ended up sleeping rough outside a post office on Clapham High Street for nearly a year. I met him at Ace of Clubs, a day centre in south London that helps homeless and vulnerable people, and where I’ve been spending time for the last … Continue reading Piotrek’s Story: Loss, addiction and life on the streets in Lambeth
Why people use Foodbanks: An interview with Jon Taylor
Jon Taylor has run the Brixton branch of the Norwood and Brixton Foodbank on Ferndale Road since 2011, and now manages a debt centre for Christians Against Poverty as well. In that time he’s seen demand grow fivefold – from providing food for 1,287 people in 2011-12 to 6,536 in 2015-16. He talked me through … Continue reading Why people use Foodbanks: An interview with Jon Taylor
How Government cuts are pushing people into food poverty, debt and mental illness
Sue Noel has been helping struggling Lambeth residents at Brixton Advice Centre (BAC) since 2009. Unlike some of BAC’s specialists, she advises on all the issues the centre covers – from benefits and debt to housing, disrepair and homelessness. It means she has a unique overview of why people come to BAC – and how … Continue reading How Government cuts are pushing people into food poverty, debt and mental illness
Refugees and asylum seekers in Lambeth – the people for whom there “isn’t a safety net to fall through”
The South London Refugee Association has been helping refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants since the early 1990s. Over the last seven months I’ve spent time at their Balham drop in centre and Streatham HQ, meeting their clients and helping to produce My Life in South London for Refugee Week in the process. I talked … Continue reading Refugees and asylum seekers in Lambeth – the people for whom there “isn’t a safety net to fall through”
Austerity, homelessness and the loss of empathy: An interview with Ace of Clubs’ Sarah Miles
Sarah Miles has been Centre Manager at Ace of Clubs day centre in Clapham for the last six years, but has worked there for more than 16. The centre provides lunch, showers, clean clothes, advice, education and much else besides to homeless and vulnerable people in south London. I’ve been spending time there over the … Continue reading Austerity, homelessness and the loss of empathy: An interview with Ace of Clubs’ Sarah Miles
Ferrini House: Another Lambeth service lost
For 20 years Ferrini House in Streatham helped to rehabilitate homeless ex-offenders with alcohol and drug problems. Run by charity St Martin of Tours, it was unique in the borough – no other organisation offered such long-term residential support for people in this situation. Most residents lived in the small, 20 bedsit facility for between … Continue reading Ferrini House: Another Lambeth service lost
A day in the death of Lambeth County Court: How austerity is eroding access to justice
In September 2017 Lambeth County Court will close its doors forever. It is one of 86 courts and tribunals across England and Wales – 10 in London alone – that the Ministry of Justice is shutting as part of the Government’s programme of austerity. I wanted to understand what Lambeth was losing, so I spent … Continue reading A day in the death of Lambeth County Court: How austerity is eroding access to justice
My Life in South London – an experiment in collaborative storytelling
This week is Refugee Week. Over the last few months, I’ve been working with South London Refugee Association to produce a photography project with their clients – which we launched yesterday. While the project itself is not about austerity, it enabled me to explore ethical issues that have been troubling me since I first embarked … Continue reading My Life in South London – an experiment in collaborative storytelling
Homelessness and the housing crisis in Lambeth
People in Lambeth, and in boroughs across the capital, are being made homeless through a combination of changes to the benefits system, delays caused by staff shortages and a housing loophole which means that people judged to have made themselves “intentionally homeless” are no longer the responsibility of the overstretched local authority…. There are currently … Continue reading Homelessness and the housing crisis in Lambeth
Rue’s story: Jobseeker’s Allowance and a bureaucratic black hole
Jobseeker’s Allowance is supposed to help people on low incomes survive gaps in their employment as they seek new work. One construction worker explains how a glitch in the benefits system left him unable to work, unable to claim JSA and unable to attend his own mother’s funeral… Rue was born on the Portuguese island … Continue reading Rue’s story: Jobseeker’s Allowance and a bureaucratic black hole
