ASLAN is a project operating to provide services for the numerous homeless people located in Euston in the city of London. The core of ASLAN is to show God's love to homeless people as well as taking care of basic physical needs. This is achieved through a food, drink and clothes run between 4am-8am every Saturday morning, a weekly Saturday drop-in at The Passage day centre, a cinema club, social get-togethers and an individual mentoring scheme.

What really makes ASLAN stand out is the way they express an interest and concern for people's lives through the work they do beyond the day centre. Homeless people are given invitations to social evenings, where they are treated like honoured guests when they arrive and served at a table rather than being another face in a crowded queue.

The mentoring scheme offers support on a long-term one-to-one basis where two volunteers and a prayer partner work with those who feel that they are prepared to leave their life on the streets and help them to access housing. Additionally, the volunteers help those who having left the streets and are in danger of returning because they cannot cope with all the stresses and strains on modern living.

The work of ASLAN has helped to reform the misconceptions of homeless people in the community, Project Co-ordinator Chris Peacock says: “We have worked very hard within our own church and with the local council to raise awareness of the needs and rights of homeless people, we speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.”

Before receiving funding, the project was growing too large to be effectively run by volunteers, work was growing with the homeless but ASLAN was not efficient enough to respond. Funding from the Church Urban Fund has enabled the project to open an office and employ a full time worker, drastically improving their work with both volunteers and the homeless. Now with more than 300 volunteers, the project hopes to see more people involved with the mentoring scheme and more support for London's homeless.

“The Church Urban Fund has been a fundamental and a core part of our work, so when people donate to Church Urban Fund it makes huge difference to our work.” Says Project Co-ordinator Chris peacock.

Homelessness Facts

• Government figures show that in 2004–2005, 62% of those accepted by local authorities for re-housing were families with children or where the mother was pregnant.
  Source: www.justhousing.org.uk
• The three main factors, according to Government figures, that cause people to be homeless are:

1. Relatives or friends no longer being willing or able to provide accommodation (38%);
2. Breakdown of relationship with partner (20% of homeless people, of which 13% suffer from domestic violence) and;
3. The end of tenancy or loss of rented accommodation (20% of homeless people).

Source: http://www.justhousing.org.uk/

• Many young people who become homeless because of conflicts with their families. It is the main immediate cause of homelessness for at least two-thirds and possibly up to 90% of homeless young people.
  Crisis 2001
• There are between 310,000 and 380,000 single homeless people in Britain.
  Crisis 2003
• One in seven British children - 1.6 million overall - are growing up homeless or in bad housing.
  Shelter