Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Katie Bellis

Volunteers say they are running out of food to give to the homeless in Swansea as numbers rise

A group helping homeless people in Swansea claim the number of people without somewhere to live is rising so fast they are running out food and clothing.

Where's Doris go out in the city centre every week giving out things such as hot stew, tents and sleeping bags.

The scheme is run by three friends, Nick Phillips, Carl Vickers and Craig Godbear. The trio said they normally had enough food for everyone but recently, that had changed.

Nick said: "We go out on the streets and support local charities and people struggling.  All the stuff is stored in Green Metal Salvage in Landore.

"We give out hot stews, clothing, tents and sleeping bags in the city centre, we try and go out in the evenings around twice a week.

"We prep food for around 12-15 people. When we went out on Sunday we could see that the numbers had gone up so we didn't have enough food.

Here's how you can help the homeless:

What's the best way to help the homeless?
Nick Phillips (Jonathan Myers)

The 44-year-old, who lives in Cwmrhydyceirw, said he felt awful when he realised they couldn't help everyone.

"There was roughly 5-6 people who couldn't have food on Sunday," he added.

"We we will make sure that we have prepared enough for when we go out next."

The group said the response and gratitude from the people they were helping had been overwhelming.

Nick added: "Everyone has got a story about why they are homeless. We don't judge anyone.

"One woman admitted that she had been clean for ten years but she had recently fallen back into that culture which had resulted in her being homeless .

"Mentally she is struggling, it's just a tragic situation, I really felt for her. We always sit down and talk to the homeless and spend time with them. We are hoping to set up drop off points for people to donate, we are in the process of setting it up.

"In the last month we have had over £500 worth of donations which have included cash, vouchers and food."

In February this year it was reported that the number of people who were homeless in Wales was increasing, with one charity seeing a nine per cent increase in the number of people it had helped over the space of a year in Swansea, Cardiff, Newport and Bridgend - a total of 2,833.

And in October this year it was revealed that the number of homeless people dying in Wales had hit a record high. Statistics showed an estimated 34 people had died while homeless in 2018, up from 13 in 2017.

Swansea had the highest number of anywhere in Wales - with nine deaths.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said at the time: “It is heart-breaking that hundreds of people were forced to spend the last days of their lives without the dignity of a secure home."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.