St Mungo’s working with Bristol City Council to help homeless in extreme weather

As temperatures soar again across the country leading homelessness charity St Mungo’s has warned of the dangers hot weather can present for people sleeping rough.

St Mungo’s is working with Bristol City Council to activate the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) from Thursday 11 August until Sunday 14 August. During this period, the Bristol Street Outreach Team, operated by St Mungo’s, is carrying out additional shifts giving out water, advice and sun protection and an additional day centre is being made available for people experiencing homelessness. 

These measures come as parts of the UK are issued with the second extreme heat warning this year, covering much of southern England including Bristol, where an Amber Extreme Weather Warning is now in place. 

Lauren Cherry, St Mungo’s Bristol Street Outreach Coordinator, said: “Our team is working very hard to provide additional support to people who are experiencing homelessness in our area during this extremely hot spell. Sun exposure and extreme heat can be very dangerous, and especially so for those who are sleeping rough or have underlying health conditions. Not everybody has access to things like sun cream and cool spaces; that’s why our team is out providing essentials and encouraging people to move into the shade, and to come into our day centre away from the sun."

"The public can be hugely helpful during this time, even if just by offering somebody some fresh water. If you are worried about somebody sleeping rough, you can make a referral via Streetlink, which will alert our team and we will aim to visit them to offer additional support. But it’s absolutely vital that if you see somebody in an emergency situation because of the heat that you call 999.”

StreetLink operates 365 days a year, with alerts being passed to local outreach teams who then use the information to find and support people sleeping rough. Find out more at www.streetlink.org.uk. During this SWEP period, the Bristol Outreach phone lines are also being extended to be open between 8am-8pm on the number +44 (0)117 407 0330.