St Mungo's set to launch volunteer service in Oxford

National homeless charity St Mungo’s' First Response initiative, which has already been launched in the London borough of Westminster, Bristol, and Reading, has seen more than 300 volunteers recruited since its inception in 2018.

Volunteers are trained to work with Streetlink, the national rough sleeping referral service, and St Mungo’s outreach teams to find people who are seeping rough.

The volunteers' role is to locate rough sleepers (Image: St Mungo's)

Their role involves locating individuals reported to be sleeping outside, allowing St Mungo's outreach teams to use their time effectively.

Typically, more than 80 per cent of public referrals turn out to be fruitless, resulting in specialists often checking empty sites.

The First Response volunteers have proven instrumental in filtering these referrals, allowing the specialists to dedicate their time more meaningfully.

Jordan Prior, St Mungo’s First Response coordinator, said: "We look forward to launching First Response in Oxford in the coming weeks.

"We have seen what a huge difference the service makes in other areas it is provided."

He also highlighted the ongoing recruitment efforts for the initiative.

He said: "We are now seeking First Response volunteers who will look for vulnerable people sleeping rough across the city to make sure they are supported.

"We would urge anyone interested to apply for the volunteering role to help their local community.

“Their incredible contribution means that our outreach teams can dedicate more time to offering people routes out of homelessness and towards recovery, including helping them to access support services and accommodation.”

First Response volunteer Martin said: "I’ve always been amazed and inspired by the dedication and the hours that the St Mungo’s Outreach team put in, with the long challenging night shifts alongside all the administration afterwards.

"I take my hat off to them, and we as volunteers are just trying to support them.

"Some of the life stories you hear when you meet people who are rough sleeping are deeply moving, where people have lost connection with family or home.

"It reminds you that it only takes three turns of bad luck and anyone might end up on the streets.

"Volunteering is inspiring, and spirits are truly lifted when something unexpectedly positive happens after months if not years of patient dedication by the Mungo’s team who have never given up on an individual."

Interested parties can learn more about the opportunities available on the St Mungo’s website.

In 2022-23, St Mungo's supported 28,359 people who were homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and, on average, the charity provided 2,735 people with housing and support on any given night.