The Big Issue - UK (2020-11-30)

CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

ThisyearhasbeenhardontheUK’syoungpeople.Athirdofworking

18 to24-year-oldshavelosttheirjobsasaresultoftheCovid-19crisis,

whileunder-25saremorethantwiceaslikelytohaveseentheirsector

shutdownthanotheragegroups.

ItmakestheworkofEndYouthHomelessness(EYH)*morevital

thanever.Andit’swhyTheBodyShopisteamingupwiththemtohelp

li�tyoungwomenoutof homelessness.

Lastyear110,000youngpeoplesoughthelpbecausetheywere

facinghomelessness.Themajority– 67percent– areforcedtoleave

homebecauseoffamilybreakdown.Manyfallintohomelessnessas

a resultofdomesticviolence,mentalhealthstrugglesorthoseofa

parent,substancemisuseorfamilieswhodon’taccepttheirsexualityor

genderidentity.Nearlya quarterofhomelessyoungpeopleareLGBTQ+,

accordingtocharityakt,whileincreasingnumbersofyoungmigrants,

asylumseekersandrefugeesareseekinghelpwithhomelessness–

lockedoutofthesocialsecuritynetbythe‘hostileenvironment’policy.

The figuresshowthatthepandemichaspushedeven moreyoung

peopletocrisispoint.EYHmembercharityCentrepointsawa 50per

centuptakeinyoungpeoplephoningitshelplineduringlockdown

becausetheywereworriedabouthomelessness,whilethenumber

ofcallerswhoaresleepingroughalsoincreasedby 50 percent.The

numberof under-25sclaimingbenefitsdoubledbetweenMarchand

Maythisyear,takingthenumbertomorethan500,000.

The government’sdecisionto li�ttheemergencyevictionban will

putthousandsoftenantsdealingwithincomecutsatriskinthecoming

months.Andthereareparticularconcernsforyoungwomen,whohave

beendisproportionatelyimpactedbyCovid-19joblosses.

Notallhomelessyoungpeoplesleeprough,butforthosewho

do,itputsyoungpeopleinsituationswhichcanbedangerousand

frightening,exposingthemtotheweatheraswellasviolenceand

sexual exploitation. O�tencuto�f from support,morethan 80percent

ofyoungpeopleexperiencinghomelessness

u�fer mentalhealthissues.

Butthereishope

throughthe e�forts

ofEYHworkersand

olunteers.EachEYHcharity

doinginvaluableworkto

vehomelessyoungpeople

hechancetoturntheirlives

around and build successful,

independentlives,workingwith

morethan30,000youngpeople

acrosstheUK.

AndthroughTheBodyShop’s

donationofupto£150,000,a

dedicatedhousingteamwillhelp

youngwomenandmothersaged

between 16 and 25 moveintotheir

ownhomes.Theinitiativewillalso

providebursaryandbondschemes

tomakesecuringa tenancya

realityforsomany.

It’sa partnershipthatwill

changethelivesofpeoplewho

arealreadyfacingdiscrimination.

Homelessyoungpeopleo�ten

experienceracism,homophobiaandviolence,witha disproportionate

numberofpeoplefromblackandethnicminority(BAME)backgrounds

le�t withouta placeto call home.Meanwhile,Centrepointreports

showthat 57 percentofyoungpeoplegettinghelpfromhomelessness

servicesarecareleavers.

Homelessnessdevastatesyounglives.Thesesoberingfigures

droveTheBodyShoptoturnitsfocustotacklingyouthhomelessness,

meaningeverypurchasethisChristmaswillseea donationgoing

straighttothecharitiesworkingtoendit.**Theirsustainable,naturally

inspiredproductscouldmakea di�ferenceto a lovedone who has been

havinga toughtimestuckathomeunderCovid-19restrictions.Butit

willalsomeansafetyforyoungwomenandmothers,orsupportfor

someonewithouta hometogotothisfestiveseason.It’stimeto come

togetherandactnowtoendyouthhomelessness.

* Anationalmovementbringingtogetherlocalcharities to tackle

theproblemona nationalscale

**Uptoa maximumdonationof£150,000

Findoutmoreatthebodyshop.com/youth-homelessness

thebodyshop.com/unseenkingdoms

THEPARTNERSHIP

WILLMEAN

SAFETYFOR

YOUNGWOMEN

ANDMOTHERS,

ORSUPPORT

FORSOMEONE

WITHOUT A HOME

Jesswashomelessatayoung

agebutfinancialhelpfrom

EYHmemberCentrepoint got

her into her own �lat

WORKING TO FIGHT

HOMELESSNESS.

ONE PURCHASE

AT A TIME