Meet the Portsmouth volunteers helping the city's rough sleepers

But now Peter volunteers at The LifeHouse, a drop-in centre and food kitchen based in Southsea where he once ate.

However he will never forget one of the darkest times of his life.

He reflects: ‘Nearly 10 years ago my mother died, and my head just went. I’ve never felt more alone in my life.

‘Then I split up with my wife and lost my job; all three happened within a year. I spent around 10 months on the streets after that.

‘I kind of blamed myself for being on the streets. I just thought that it was my problem that I had to deal with myself.’

Now rehoused, Peter, 55, volunteers in the kitchen.

And he will never forget the kindness he received while he was living on the streets. He adds: ‘When I was homeless I sometimes received dirty looks, but for every bad experience there were random acts of kindness.’

‘People would ask me if I needed anything, and some would buy me food and magazines.’

Neil McAvery has been homeless for four years, and is currently living at the Hope House hostel, located on Milton Road.

While on the streets, Neil admitted that he had frequently got mixed up in drugs, and was quick to sing the praises of organisations like The LifeHouse in providing a means of escape.

He says: ‘It’s just nice to have someone to talk to when you haven’t talked to anyone in a while.

‘This lot have been brilliant. We are quite lucky here in Portsmouth because there are places where we can get food every night.’

Peter and Neil have both benefited from the important services on offer in our city, such as The LifeHouse on Albert Road.

Being on the streets is never easy, but during winter life can become even more difficult to endure.

As temperatures drop and gales blow, those without homes are left open to the elements with little warmth, little food and often little help.

However The LifeHouse is just one insitution in Portsmouth which is trying to change the lives of those on the streets.

Manager Mike Morell explains how they open their doors twice a week and provide hot food, drinks, clothes and also offer counselling and accessibility to short courses.

Mike says: ‘We are a church without the traditional stuff – we believe in serving the community.

‘It’s a group for people with a heart for social action.

‘We’re a group for those kinds of people, but we also include some of those who are disconnected – some of the folks who have got homes, but are mentally unwell.’

Of those who regularly attend meals at The LifeHouse, about a quarter are rough sleepers.

He explains: ‘We sometimes treat people we know are rough sleepers as priorities, because there are a lot of people here who are under-housed, or who are recovering addicts, or who are suffering from mental health problems.

‘We have to constantly remember that we are here, predominantly, for the rough sleepers.’

For a lot of rough sleepers, their tenures on the street are a matter of waiting for accommodation to be allocated – but during this time some may pick up habits that they struggle to shake off.

Drug and alcohol addiction are huge problems in homelessness, but the reasons for consumption are not always as obvious as they may seem.

Mike explained: ‘Alcohol does numb the pain of being really cold. People know this, and this is often a reason why rough sleepers drink.

‘Unless you’re under two sleeping bags with a couple of duvets over your head, your whole body is going to feel the cold.’

Even if you can’t offer a service or donate spare change, Mike says we can all do something to help those on the streets.

‘Talking to the person, if you feel safe, is a very good thing to do. They could have been there all day and nobody has treated them like a person.’

The LifeHouse is located at 153 Albert Road. It hosts a hot breakfast on Wednesdays from 9am and a hot dinner on Thursdays at 7pm.

What our city is doing to help the homeless…

The number of rough sleepers in England has also increased significantly since 2010, according to surveys conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), not least in the south-east.

Evictions, job losses, divorce and separation, disputes within households and domestic violence are just some of the most common reasons people can be left without permanent accommodation.

Councillor Darren Sanders, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member for housing at Portsmouth City Council, says: ‘There are two distinct groups of people on the streets. The council has a duty to house homeless people (those living in temporary accommodation), but not to house rough sleepers. We believe that this is morally wrong.’

The council offers a range of facilities for rough sleepers in Portsmouth, including two night shelters run by the Society of St James and Two Saints on behalf of the council, with a combined total of 49 beds.

Cllr Sanders said: ‘372 different people used our night shelters last year; many just for one night, but some more frequently.

‘There is a total of 60-70 rough sleepers in Portsmouth. That’s not just people on the streets, that’s people in the night shelters as well.’