LOCALS are being encouraged to get behind a project which supports homeless people after it was revealed around 100 people will spend Christmas without a home this year.
The Rucksack Project Barnsley has been running for a decade and hopes to support people who are either sleeping rough or facing homelessness this Christmas.
Support is ramped up during the winter months due to the colder weather - and project leader Adie Flute says national figures show the issue is at a record high, and that Barnsley is not bucking that trend.
Research by homeless charity Shelter estimates that 100 people will be homeless this Christmas, including 46 children.
It means one in 2,446 people in the area are homeless.
The data includes rough sleepers, single people in hostels, and people living in temporary accommodation arranged either by themselves, by councils, or by social services.
He told the Chronicle: “Ministry of Housing figures show that in 2023/24 there was a record high number of households facing homelessness.
“It’s very rare that you see a single region buck against the national trend.
“What is happening in Barnsley is happening nationally.
“It’s always tricky to get accurate statistics.
“The council will use figures on rough sleepers which obviously is a lot less than elsewhere but there’s people who are in temporary accommodation and those who are facing homelessness.”
Between April and June, a total of 235 households had an initial homelessness assessment.
This means they were assessed as requiring ‘a duty to prevent or relieve homelessness’, meaning housing authorities must help prevent them from becoming homeless or support them in securing accommodation if they are already homeless.
This was up from 201 in the same period in 2023, and led to 219 households requiring support.
Adie admits that Covid had a huge impact on the work they do - but is encouraging locals to get involved with their upcoming schemes.
“Covid was tough for us,” he said.
“We built up a lot of momentum but then Covid took that away.
“We weren’t able to have any gatherings like we were doing and social media - which was our biggest tool to get things out there - just isn’t reaching as far anymore.”
A donation drive took place last weekend at St Mary’s Church in the town centre and then another will be held tomorrow at Oakwell in Barnsley’s League One fixture against Leyton Orient.
Adie says it’s essential that people support the scheme.
“We’re hoping that we have the same success that we did last year with the football club,” he added.
“We work in conjunction with other charities and organisations across Barnsley who help people who are homeless.
“Anything that we can raise helps them.
“The more we can do the easier it is for them to support people.”
Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, told the Chronicle: “Homelessness can affect anyone and comes in many forms.
“In Barnsley, we recognize that everyone’s circumstances are different.
“For some, it arises from sudden changes in their home situation, making it unsafe to stay.
“For others, homelessness may be connected to ongoing challenges, which can lead to rough sleeping or temporary accommodation.
"In Barnsley, we are committed to addressing these issues through a proactive approach.
“Our team carries out regular rough sleeper counts to monitor the situation closely.
“Fortunately, the number of rough sleepers in our area remains low compared to national figures, but we know that even one person experiencing homelessness is one too many.
"Support is available every single day.
“Our dedicated teams are out early in the mornings and late at night to reach people who may need help.
“We understand that not everyone feels ready to engage with services right away, but we ensure that the offer of support is always there when they are ready.
"We work tirelessly with individuals and families to provide help as early as possible.
“If anyone finds themselves facing homelessness, we strongly encourage them to contact us at the earliest opportunity.
“This allows us to work together to find solutions and prevent situations from escalating.
"Barnsley Council is proud to work closely with local partners to deliver the objectives set out in our Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy. This includes providing tailored support, improving access to safe and suitable housing, and addressing the root causes of homelessness.
"To learn more about the support available, please visit our website or reach out to our homelessness prevention team.
“Together, we can continue to build a community where everyone has a safe and stable place to call home."
Pictured: Peter Mulrooney at the drop-in centre.
