Andy Burnham begins first day as Prime Minister with visit to Catholic homeless charity

Image by Simon Dawson - No 10 Downing Street

Source: No 10 Downing Street, The Passage

On his first morning as the UK's new Prime Minister, yesterday, Andy Burnham visited The Passage to learn more about their work supporting people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness in London.

During the visit, Burnham joined members of The Passage's Engagement and Outreach Team as they met people sleeping rough in the Victoria area.

Together, they spoke with individuals currently sleeping on the streets, offering immediate welfare support and helping them to access pathways away from homelessness.

Burnham said: "There's a reason I started my first day as Prime Minister at The Passage. What I saw this morning - the dedication of staff, the courage of people rebuilding their lives - shows what's possible when we act with purpose. We're getting to work immediately with organisations like The Passage to make sure no one is left without a safe place to call home."

Returning to The Passage's Resource Centre, Burnham met members of the charity's Lived Experience Group, hearing directly from people who have experienced homelessness and the challenges they have faced. He also spent time volunteering in The Passage kitchen, which serves more than 43,000 meals each year to people in need" Mick Clarke, Chief Executive of The Passage said.

He added: "We welcomed the new Prime Minister to The Passage this morning, where he met our frontline teams and people with lived experience of homelessness. They spoke candidly about the realities of homelessness and what more needs to be done to address the housing crisis in Britain, including a radical approach to social housing that ensures everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home.

"During his visit, the Prime Minister also saw first-hand the practical support we offer to help people to move away from homelessness and into stable accommodation and employment. He learned about our pioneering No Night Out service, which has prevented hundreds of people from spending even a single night on the streets.

"Homelessness is not inevitable and everyone in society has a role to play in ending it. We therefore look forward to working with the Prime Minister and his government to help make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring."

Reflecting on the visit, one member of staff said: "Meeting Andy Burnham and seeing how genuinely interested he was in the work we do, and in how government can work alongside charities to make a real difference, was incredibly encouraging. We hope today's visit marks the beginning of meaningful action to tackle homelessness across the country."

LINK

The Passage: https://passage.org.uk/