- rough sleeping on rail forum launched to help end
homelessness and support those most in need
- Rail Minister visits Birmingham New Street station to see how
the industry and Shelter have supported 168 people since last
spring through outreach programme
- forum builds on the existing rough sleeping on rail charter
to bring together the rail industry to help end rough sleeping by
the end of this Parliament
The Rail Minister
has today (13 July 2021) launched a new forum designed to
coordinate the industry in helping those who are sleeping rough
at stations across the country.
The forum, which has been introduced to meet the government’s
objective of ending rough sleeping by 2024, will unite the
industry for the first time in ensuring a measured approach is
taken when supporting those most in need.
A groundbreaking pilot scheme is being run by Shelter on behalf
of Network Rail to support those in need. As part of the pilot,
Shelter has trained a number of Network Rail staff to connect
with the people they encounter sleeping rough and refer them to
Shelter’s expert services.
The 2 station pilots in Birmingham and Manchester have already
helped 168 people since their launch last spring and are part of
Network Rail’s ongoing routes out of homelessness
programme. Rail Minister
was shown around the scheme today, as he visited Birmingham New
Street station.
In summer 2020, the rough sleeping on rail
charter was established by Network Rail and the Secretary of
State for Transport was one of the first signatories. The charter
sets out principles aimed at preventing and reducing rough
sleeping and safeguarding those most vulnerable. The principles
include:
- recognising and addressing risks of homelessness on the
network and reduce, but not displace, individuals
- protecting the most vulnerable people in the community on or
near the British railways with a safeguarding approach
- to work together as an industry with the wider transport
sector to talk openly about homelessness
Rail Minister said:
We are determined to help those people sleeping rough at
stations across the country, which is why last year we produced
the rough sleeping on rail charter.
The wonderful pilot scheme operated by Shelter on behalf of
Network Rail is making a real difference and I am pleased to
see that we have helped over 150 people in the last year alone.
Now our rough sleeping on rail forum will align and unite
industry efforts, allowing for more outreach programmes, like I
have seen today, to be developed and support those in need.
The rough sleeping on rail forum will convene quarterly to bring
together the rail industry, enforcement, charities and local
authorities on the issue of rough sleeping, with the first
meeting today, 13 July 2021.
Martin Frobisher OBE, Network Rail’s group
safety and engineering director, said:
Our routes out of homelessness campaign is making a real
difference all over the country, offering some of the most
vulnerable people in our society hope for a better future.
The expertise of charity partners like Shelter has been vital
in making this a success. Bringing together these charity
partners with the rail industry through the rough sleeping on
rail forum will be hugely beneficial in making sure we are
giving the right support to those who need it.
