What you need to do if you see a homeless person out in the snow

This could save someone's life.

Storm Emma is coming. "The Beast from the East" is, by all accounts, still beasting. It is very, very cold. As cold as the arctic circle. The coldest it has been in 5 years. This is extremely dangerous for homeless people and we have more of them currently on the streets than at any point since records began. There were almost 5,000 people sleeping rough last Autumn. It's a complete joke. As you well know, the current government are not going to do all that much to help them. It is down to the kindness of the general public and the heroic volunteer support homeless shelters receive. If you see someone out on the street in the snow, as well as offering them a hot drink and some food, you can help them immensely by contacting the homelessness charity StreetLink, who will find them a warm bed to sleep in for the night. [caption id="attachment_165619" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Image credit Getty[/caption] The charity has outreach staff patrolling all areas of London, so you all need to do is contact them via either their website, downloadable app or phone their 24-hour hotline (0300 500 0914), simply detailing the location, time and appearance of the homeless person. The app will also show local services that will be able to offer immediate support. Emergency shelters have opened up this week in London due to the extreme weather conditions, so with extra beds available it is important we all try to assist those still out sleeping in the cold. StreetLink operate in all areas of England & Wales and rely on the alerts sent by members of the public so their outreach team can find and support the homeless. They were set up in 2010 and have grown year on year to help tackle the escalating homelessness in the UK. They will make contact with any homeless person who is reported, provide them with a warm bed, and allow them to receive the long-term support they need to return to actual accommodation and work. The website again is https://streetlink.force.com.