The Vagrancy Act of 1866 makes it a criminal offence to beg or to be homeless on the streets of England and Wales. The law was passed in the summer of 1824 (197 years ago) and it was originally intended to deal with a situation far from the reality of street homelessness in the present […]

I’m Karen from Manchester it’s great to meet you all. I’m a recovering alcoholic, I experienced a short time of homelessness many years ago, I’m a survivor of domestic abuse and I’m happy to say I’ve come through it all. I volunteered at a local Alcohol and Substance Abuse centre where I qualified as a […]

This picture is by one of our reporters who choses to report anonymously. This reporter has previously talked about their connection to a group of cats and how this has supported them through very difficult times. This picture, bathed in shadow is a powerful way of communicating feelings that came up after our reporter was […]

This post mentions drug taking.  In this piece I talk about what this project has done for me and the potential it offers reporters to share stories they’ve kept locked up or have shared in the past and not received a positive reaction. Please excuse my nervous use of the phrase ‘you know’…We all know, […]

My mentor Steve asked me what I thought  Volunteering would do for me ? How it felt being part of something new and did I have any expectations from this role ? Well I feel very honoured to be part of the  Groundswell team especially at the beginning of such a new and exciting campaign. […]

When I was asked to be part of this project I was really excited. I had no expectations and really no idea what I was doing apart from writing in general, which I’m passionate about . I wanted to share some stories of how it has been being a women who has experienced homelessness, substance […]

11th August 2022 I was in Manchester City Centre today the 11th August it was unbearably hot reaching 32° by 3pm. This is global warming and its starting to scare me now because we don’t know how bad it’s going to get. As I walked through Manchester in my cool summer clothes, hair scraped up […]

This is Steve reporting for Listen Up on the 16th of February, 2023. I haven’t done a report for a bit. That’s because I’ve been doing other stuff for Groundswell. . I’ve been doing  HPAA work, Homeless Health Peer Advocacy. And yeah, I have to say, I find it really rewarding, you know, for a […]

When I was first moved to supported accommodation, I spent about three months there and then my son, who couldn’t live with his mother anymore came and moved in with me. It was only a studio flat, and he was there. So, I had to sleep on the floor.   While I was sleeping on the […]

Hi, here at Listen Up we often write about focus or awareness days – who doesn’t love them… well, me for a start…!  For example, 6th March is Spring Budget day… so you have a fortnight to digest it ready for celebrating International Day of Happiness on the 20th March ☺️  Just imagine a budget […]

Compassion, not merely a benevolent gesture, but an affirmation of shared existence.   A compassionate approach extends beyond the material to the ethereal; it encompasses the acknowledgment of every individual’s dignity. Simple acts of kindness – a warm conversation, a shared meal – can serve as beacons of humanity in a desolate urban landscape.  Compassion […]

The first time I ever saw a ‘REAL’ computer was in the 80’s just before graduating from the College of Economics and Administration. I was 19 at the time and after 4 years of studying touch-typing, typing through carbon paper to create copies, shorthand, telegram and even IT technology which meant how 1’s and 0’s […]

Imagine the worst question you could face at the start of any conversation with someone new. Using my magical powers of I didn’t know how else to start writing this, so humour me, I’m going to guess it was some variation of “tell me a bit about yourself.” If that wasn’t what you were thinking, […]

Advocacy Healthcare Access Mental Health Physical Health Stigma Women’s Perspectives I’m Nawshin,  I’ve done a lot of policy work with Groundswell in the form of YouTube, podcasts and writing. Whilst also being on boards/steering groups for people participation in East London, NHS Foundation Trust. I have 13+ years experience in people/project management and advocacy for […]