The Birmingham Christmas Shelter is preparing to open its doors to more than 200 people each day over the festive period, offering a vital refuge for those facing homelessness or isolation.
Shelter Braces for Record Demand During Cost of Living Crisis
Operating from St Catherine of Siena Primary School, the shelter expects to serve 220 people every day from Christmas Eve until December 28. A special Christmas dinner will be provided for an estimated 250 guests. Trustee Simon Rixon attributes the sustained high demand to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, unaffordable private rents, a critical shortage of social housing, and the freeze on housing benefit.
"The Birmingham Christmas Shelter is a vital resource for struggling families, at a time when many other services are shut," said Simon. "The number of provisions we need and the number of volunteers we need is continuing to grow year on year." The shelter first opened in 1974.
Stark Statistics Underline Birmingham's Homelessness Emergency
This community effort comes against a bleak backdrop. New research from the charity Shelter reveals Birmingham has one of the highest homelessness rates in England. Their analysis of government data shows that 19,518 people were homeless in Birmingham as of June, equating to roughly one in every 61 residents in the area.
Shelter's breakdown indicates that the vast majority, around 19,459 individuals, were living in temporary accommodation. The charity estimates a further 59 people were sleeping rough on the streets based on Autumn 2024 data. Nationally, Shelter warns that more than 382,000 people across England, including over 175,000 children, will be without a home this Christmas.
More Than a Meal: Comprehensive Support on Offer
Over its four days of operation, the Birmingham Christmas Shelter will provide far more than just shelter. Guests will have access to:
- Three hot meals daily.
- Somewhere safe to sleep.
- Wash facilities provided by the ShowerBox charity.
Furthermore, a range of local service providers will be on site offering practical support and a touch of dignity, including footcare, hairdressing, holistic therapies, beauty treatments, and crucial consultations to help people find permanent accommodation. The atmosphere will be boosted by volunteer DJs, comedians, singers, and bands performing throughout the week.
Public Appeal to Help Fund Vital Christmas Refuge
To ensure the shelter can support everyone who needs it, organisers are urging the public to help boost funding through the easyfundraising website and app, where Birmingham Christmas Shelter is a registered cause. Supporters can sign up, select the shelter as their cause, and then whenever they shop online with one of thousands of retailers (from M&S to Just Eat), a percentage of their purchase is donated at no extra cost.
"The money we get from easyfundraising helps us to give someone, who may be lonely or desperate, somewhere to go on Christmas day," Simon explained. "If people spend a pound here and there on easyfundraising doing their Christmas shopping it all adds up." The initiative has already raised more than £3,600 for the shelter through supportive shoppers.
