Homeless related sickness rockets in Brighton (From The Argus)
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Homeless related sickness rockets in Brighton
4:20pm Thursday 24th June 2010 in News
The impact of the recession has led to a sharp rise in the number of homeless people needing help from a medical charity.
St John Ambulance in Sussex says volunteers providing its homeless service in Brighton and Hove have noticed a 25% increase in cases over the last year.
It treated clients a total of 1,592 times in 2009 compared to 1,274 the year before.
Service manager Markie Barratt said: The reasons why people become homeless are many, varied and often highly complex.
“But there's no doubt that the economic climate has contributed to this increase in the numbers of homeless people seeking our help.
“The most vulnerable people are inevitably hardest hit in a recession.
“They have no safety net and that's where we step in. We provide a lifeline to desperate people existing at the margins of society.”
The St John Ambulance service in Brighton runs four clinics a week - one from a mobile treatment centre on the seafront, one from a night shelter and two from treatment centres based outside local day centres.
Research shows two thirds of homeless people living in hostels suffer from serious health problems including frostbite, trench foot, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Long time Big Issue seller, Darren, who is based in Brighton, said: “It is difficult to tell exact numbers because there is a constant cycle of people coming through but the recession is certainly not going to have helped.”
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said there had been a 58% reduction in homelessness since 2004 and that the number of rough sleepers had fallen by 80% since 2001.
He said: “Homelessness is tragic for those involved.
“So as well as dealing with its consequences, we're very focused on preventing homelessness, working with families and landlords to help people stay in their homes in as many cases as possible.
“Last year our housing options team responded to more than 4,000 enquiries, and managed to resolve 70% of those just through providing the right housing advice.
“We continue to work with our partners to target rough sleeping across the city and work with individuals who need support to access stable accommodation.”
Comments(22)
jiving
says...
7:05pm Thu 24 Jun 10
security word: debt sing
Betty Blue
says...
7:30pm Thu 24 Jun 10
Living in the real world
says...
7:37pm Thu 24 Jun 10
"Build and they will come"
SW = give-meal ... I kid you not
Council Pound
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7:59pm Thu 24 Jun 10
dixie normous
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9:40pm Thu 24 Jun 10
Betty Blue wrote:shes old bill plain clothes div., well done for blowing her cover,shes known in the force as lushed up lil.
The rise in the number of homeless people with medical "problems" is due to the fact there are more people moving to the city because of the very good services provided for these people. Many of them seem so very young. What I cannot understand there is an older woman selling the Big Issue in Western Road Brighton. Who seems to continually have a cigarette in her mouth, a tin of Special Brew on the floor and a modern mobile phone. How can homeless people afford such luxuries. Is it from selling the newspaper?
barleydevil
says...
9:55pm Thu 24 Jun 10
1. she is selling the Big Issue and she is not homeless
2. how does she afford to travel to 3 areas that are almost 45 miles apart from start to finish.
I really have no faith in Big Issue. However I do have the most immense sympathy with the mentally ill and ex-service men that are living on the streets, these are the people that should be helped
jeremy radvan
says...
11:28pm Thu 24 Jun 10
barleydevil wrote:It is truly a humbling experience to be witness to such generosity of spirit as expressed by your correspondents. It is important that we all harden our hearts to such acts of blatant dishonesty, and continue our lives of craven servitude to the financial institutions that have bankrupted our country. As George(or as his mother christened him ‘Gideon’) Osbourne has demonstrated, the only people who must pay for homelessness are those people unwise enough to be without a home. I am sure that David, George and their ‘catamite’ Nick will agree with me when I say the poor only have themselves to blame for the situation in which they find themselves.
There is a very rude Romanian woman selling the Big Issue in Horsham, Redhill and Selsdon but she lives in a council flat in Brighton. She sometimes has little kids with her that are dressed in very little clothing. I am very confused how
1. she is selling the Big Issue and she is not homeless
2. how does she afford to travel to 3 areas that are almost 45 miles apart from start to finish.
I really have no faith in Big Issue. However I do have the most immense sympathy with the mentally ill and ex-service men that are living on the streets, these are the people that should be helped
TheInsider
says...
11:53pm Thu 24 Jun 10
Sadly, the original message the Big Issue foundation conveyed about helping the homeless into work has been ruined by scammers...junkies who bought a copy and then pretended to 'sell' their last copy, took your money then pleaded with you to let them keep this so-called last copy. I once fell for this and as I was about to give in, a detective flashed his ID and lifted the scammer.
I would rather give directly to a charity as we no longer know who is a genuine seller and who is a blagger.
And we have enough of our own scammers without migrant scammers joining in.
barleydevil
says...
11:55pm Thu 24 Jun 10
jeremy radvan wrote:I didn't post anything about politics or financial institutions so please do not berate me. I was commented on a so called homeless person who has sold the Big Issue in at least 3 locations 45 miles from start to finish. This woman was an asylum seeker about three years ago when she did an article in a local newspaper and yet she is not supposed to work so how the hell does she qualify to sell the Big Issue. She has a home and yet she is classed by Big Issue as homeless so she can sell for them.
barleydevil wrote:It is truly a humbling experience to be witness to such generosity of spirit as expressed by your correspondents. It is important that we all harden our hearts to such acts of blatant dishonesty, and continue our lives of craven servitude to the financial institutions that have bankrupted our country. As George(or as his mother christened him ‘Gideon’) Osbourne has demonstrated, the only people who must pay for homelessness are those people unwise enough to be without a home. I am sure that David, George and their ‘catamite’ Nick will agree with me when I say the poor only have themselves to blame for the situation in which they find themselves.
There is a very rude Romanian woman selling the Big Issue in Horsham, Redhill and Selsdon but she lives in a council flat in Brighton. She sometimes has little kids with her that are dressed in very little clothing. I am very confused how
1. she is selling the Big Issue and she is not homeless
2. how does she afford to travel to 3 areas that are almost 45 miles apart from start to finish.
I really have no faith in Big Issue. However I do have the most immense sympathy with the mentally ill and ex-service men that are living on the streets, these are the people that should be helped
jeremy radvan
says...
12:10am Fri 25 Jun 10
Council Pound
says...
2:46am Fri 25 Jun 10
Council Pound
says...
2:53am Fri 25 Jun 10
Council Pound
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4:16am Fri 25 Jun 10
Angryoldman
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9:49am Fri 25 Jun 10
Betty Blue wrote:You can pick up a PAYG mobile phone for under a tenner.
The rise in the number of homeless people with medical "problems" is due to the fact there are more people moving to the city because of the very good services provided for these people. Many of them seem so very young. What I cannot understand there is an older woman selling the Big Issue in Western Road Brighton. Who seems to continually have a cigarette in her mouth, a tin of Special Brew on the floor and a modern mobile phone. How can homeless people afford such luxuries. Is it from selling the newspaper?
So the woman smokes and drinks strong cheap lager.
Who are YOU to judge her?
Could you walk a week in her shoes?
You would probably prefer to see her laying in the gutter with grime all over her and no shoes.
At least the woman stands in all weathers in the street to EARN money to try and better her self.
Judgmental uncaring snobs like you make me want to vomit.
Let them eat cake eh Betty?
Spanners
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11:51am Fri 25 Jun 10
Betty Blue
says...
1:51pm Fri 25 Jun 10
dixie normous wrote:Oh! I am so sorry. It is a wonderful disguise, she just looks like a dirty, smelly old woman. Please don't tell me under all those dirty clothes and wig there is a young, attractive policewoman. I suppose she is looking for drug dealers.
Betty Blue wrote: The rise in the number of homeless people with medical "problems" is due to the fact there are more people moving to the city because of the very good services provided for these people. Many of them seem so very young. What I cannot understand there is an older woman selling the Big Issue in Western Road Brighton. Who seems to continually have a cigarette in her mouth, a tin of Special Brew on the floor and a modern mobile phone. How can homeless people afford such luxuries. Is it from selling the newspaper?shes old bill plain clothes div., well done for blowing her cover,shes known in the force as lushed up lil.
You have really made me feel sick. I really am sorry for "blowing her cover".
Baldseagull
says...
10:53pm Fri 25 Jun 10
Betty Blue wrote:Homeless people and vulnerably housed people are allowed to vend The Big Issue.
I thought you had to be homeless to sell The Big Issue" or having the rules changed. My neighbours says that woman in Western Road lives in a council flat.
Once a homeless person is housed they are also allowed to continue selling the mag for a period of time to help them in their transition.
However it is against Big Issue's code of conduct to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol whilst vending or supervising a minor.
There are also rules about where they may sell.
Authorised Big Issue Vendors should be displaying Big Issue identification, do not buy from someone who is not doing so.
If a vendor is behaving in a way that upsets you, note their vendors ID and report to the Big Issue. They are keen to maintain public support and will pull the vendor up or stop supplying them with magazines if they do not observe the code of conduct.
People who sell The Big Issue do not have a lot of other options besides theft and begging. I congratulate them on doing something to help themselves.
DenisRayburn
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6:43am Tue 29 Jun 10
sussexram40
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7:09pm Tue 29 Jun 10
Old Ladys Gin
says...
12:33pm Wed 30 Jun 10
At least that way when you do criticise, you'll be a mile away and have their shoes!
bigissue
says...
5:18pm Tue 6 Jul 10
The opportunity to sell the magazine is extended to vulnerable people irrespective of their origin.
Our code of conduct prohibits vendors from being under the influence whilst selling the magazine, using the magazine as a front for begging or failing to display their official identification. We take breaches to the code of conduct seriously and will take disciplinary action where appropriate. To view the code of conduct please click here - http://www.bigissue.
com/downloads/user/c
ode_of_conduct.pdf
To make complaint about vendors in your local area please call 01273 724 129
Betty Blue says...
6:52pm Thu 24 Jun 10