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Dome inspires homeless people at Christmas

Crisis | 13.12.2004 19:03 | London

Crisis Open Christmas will take place in six venues around London this year from 23 to 30 December. The main venue will be at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich.

This year Crisis, the national homelessness charity, will be launching its ‘Be Inspired’ area at the Dome. Alongside basic medical and healthcare services homeless people will be able to take part in workshops from plumbing to IT and art to basic numeracy.

Shaks Ghosh, Chief Executive of Crisis said: “Giving warmth and comfort is great. But it is not enough to move people out of homelessness. We need to give people the confidence and skills they need. The Dome was designed to be a building that inspired people. This Christmas it will inspire homeless people to rebuild their lives.”

This year Crisis will be increasing its efforts to connect homeless people to courses and training in the New Year, including those at the Crisis Skylight activity centre, which runs year round.

Crisis will be launching ‘Be Inspired’, where homeless people will be able to take part in workshops from plumbing to IT and art to basic numeracy.

Shaks Ghosh, Crisis' Chief Executive said, "Giving warmth and comfort is great. But it's not enough to move people out of homelessness - they need confidence and skills. The Dome was designed to be a building that inspired people. This Christmas it will inspire homeless people to rebuild their lives."

Crisis
e-mail: enquiries@crisis.org.uk
Homepage: http://www.crisis.org.uk

Comments

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Rip off

13.12.2004 20:21

I was wondering when the annual Crisis fundraiser would be announced. Their website indicates they need 3,500 volunteers - why ?

Crisis and Shelter continue to perpetuate the myth of a widescale rough sleeper problem in the UK to justify their fundraising. The reality is organisations like St Mungos have all but eliminated the rough seeker from major UK streets through a low cost, well run series of schemes run in partnership with local authorities and the Royal British Legion (many rough sleepers are ex-servicemen).

Crisis and Shelter are now monolithic, self serving organisations who have lost site of their role.

Charity Worker

My homeless charity is better than yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

14.12.2004 09:36

Funny that. I see rough sleepers every time I go to London. But let's assume it's true that your charities have "almost eliminated" rough sleeping. So where are all those people? Are they all living in middle class four bedroomed houses with a two car garage? No, they're sleeping in hostels aren't they. They're still homeless. And how about they're mental health situation? Are they all suddenly happy and smiling now? You seem to think that you can solve the most superficial aspect of the problem, take all the credit, and then call it a day and leave it at that. But then you would wouldn't you - you're a charity worker. That's what charities do - they treat the symptoms.

If you read the above article, what does Crisis say it's doing? It's providing courses and workshops for people who would benefit from them. So are you seriously suggesting there won't be able people who'll take up the offer? You question that they need all those vollunteers - so what are you suggesting? That the vollnteers will just sit around drinking tea all day because there isn't actually anything for them to do?

I'm sure the charities you mention have done some very good work but why do you need to slag off what Crisis is doing???

bloke

because

14.12.2004 17:06

because Crisis is not working !

Their annual campaign is not about getting 3500 people to volunter, if they did about 3,400 would have to be sent home as they would have nothing to do. Last year Crisis "provided food" to a number of London homeless. How many do you think ?

10,000? 5,000? 500? 50? The actual number was 16 yes that's right 16 !

This press release is about money, raising donations, corporate and private to pay for their offices and the wages of the 212 staff they have.