We are delighted to share that we have secured just under £1 million from the National Lottery Community Fund to deliver our health work over the next three years. This funding will support our Homeless Health Link Service and Health & Wellbeing Days, helping us continue to improve access to healthcare for people experiencing homelessness across South West London.
Rough sleepers are more likely than the general population to experience poor physical and mental health, often with complex and long-term needs. Many also face practical barriers to accessing support, including a lack of ID or a fixed address, low confidence in navigating services, and difficulty understanding written information.
Our Homeless Health Link Service helps bridge that gap by connecting people to local healthcare services and providing trusted, one-to-one advocacy. Building on more than nine years of experience, we will continue to support people in Richmond, Kingston and Wandsworth, with a focus on helping them navigate NHS systems and access the care they need.
Our Health & Wellbeing Days will continue across Richmond, Kingston, Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton and Croydon. These drop-in events bring a wide range of support into accessible community venues, including health screening, blood-borne virus testing, liver fibroscans, substance misuse support, mental health support, podiatry, dental advice and treatment, as well as wellbeing activities such as massage and barber services.
Over the next three years, we will also expand our work to train healthcare professionals and frontline workers in trauma-informed practice, helping services better understand and respond to the barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness. This training will be co-developed and co-delivered with people who have lived experience of rough sleeping.
We will also continue to inform and influence local NHS commissioners and policy-makers, share best practice, and build partnerships with organisations including King’s College London and Brunel University to strengthen our work and improve outcomes for the people we support.
Click below to read the final report of the independent evaluation of SPEAR’s Homeless Health Link Service in Kingston and Richmond over the last three years.
