Wycombe Homeless Connection's account on highs and lows

The Wycombe Homeless Connection, which is based along Castle Street in the town, has helped those living rough since their creation in 2008.

During that time, they have offered their services to thousands of people in the area and beyond, with many individuals being able to find homes and jobs through their efforts.

However, due to the cost-of-living crisis, which has seen important necessities such as food, drink, toiletries, rent and utilities increase in price, there has been a rise in homelessness in the country.

According to the official Government statistics, there was a 27 per cent increase on rough sleepers between 2022 and 2023.

This next is expected to get higher by the end of 2024.

And despite many people in the town being spotted giving money to those on the street, Heather Stanley, who works for the Wycombe Homeless Connection, said the money ‘would go a lot further’ if it is donated to charity.

She told the Free Press: “When it comes to begging, you see the same faces over and over again, so you know is begging in town.

“And even though it can take years to help people, the chance is that if you see the same people and you give them money, that money isn’t helping them.

“We want people to follow their heart, but we also encourage people to donate to charities make it go a lot further.

“No-one chooses begging as a way of living – people who are begging still have chaotic lives, but some could be going back to a home and the reality is that you can’t tell by looking and asking.

“It’s sad and upsetting because our position at the Homeless Connection is that if you give money, you don’t know how that is going to be used.”

She continued: “What we try and do is de-link homelessness to begging because people who are street homeless, especially women, tend to hide away.

“They are doing their best to stay alive.

“The average man dies at 47 and the average woman dies at 43 – decades earlier than someone who has a home.

“It is a heart-breaking statistic but we know that we can’t help everyone, because not everyone wants help.”

Our chat with the WHC comes after they announced plans to relaunch their Winter Night Shelter, which will take place in January.

The charity, which began its work running a shelter in High Wycombe in 2008, is opening its shelter for the first time in five years.

The creation of the charity initially began on Christmas Day 2006, when three churchgoers discovered the body of 47-year-old Josephine ‘Josie’ Razzell in the Eastern Street Car Park.

Josephine 'Josie' Razzell died at the age of 47 on Christmas Day 2006 (Image: NA)

The mother of six had been staying at the Old Tea Warehouse in the town, but was found response by the trio in a stairwell on December 25.

Following the shocking discovery, the three friends ‘vowed’ to create an organisation to help rough sleepers in the town, which led to the formation of the Wycombe Homeless Connection in 2008.

They initially began with winter night shelters to help those in need during the winter months, before their support network grew.

They are now regarded as one of the main homelessness charities in the UK.

Night shelter volunteers with blankets at a previous event (Image: NA)

James Boultbee, CEO, said: “During the first years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government stepped in and offered shelter to everyone, recognising that people without a home were at high risk from the virus on top of the risks.

“However, street homelessness is back to its highest levels locally and Buckinghamshire Council simply isn’t able to offer safe shelter to everyone who needs it.”

They are now looking for volunteers to help for a ‘couple of evenings, nights or mornings two or three times a month in January, February and March 2025’.

Training starts in November.

A night shelter volunteer cook at a previous event (Image: NA)

Heather concluded: “We believe that no-one should ever deserve to live on the streets.

“Homelessness can be solved, and we saw that in Covid when the Government helped.

“We worked so closely with people to get them out of homelessness and it worked as we moved them into new homes, but now, it’s not the same.”

For more information, go to https://wyhoc.org.uk/.