Crisis (charity)

According to Crisis, the charity was "founded in 1967 in response to the shocking Ken Loach film Cathy Come Home shown the previous year, and a publicity campaign led by reforming Conservatives William Shearman and Ian Macleod highlighting the plight of homeless people".{{cite web |url=https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/history/#welcome |title=A visual timeline of our history |accessdate=2 August 2021 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2005/aug/03/voluntarysector.conservativeparty |title=Obituary: William Shearman |work=The Guardian |date= 3 August 2005|accessdate=31 December 2019}} The drama-documentary Cathy Come Home was first broadcast by the BBC the previous November.

Since the 1960s Crisis has evolved to meet the changing needs of single homeless people, campaigning for change and delivering services to help people find a route out of their homelessness across the UK.

It was one of the seven charities nominated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to receive donations in lieu of wedding presents when the couple married on 19 May 2018.{{cite news|title=Royal wedding: Harry and Meghan ask for charity donations|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43699877|accessdate=16 May 2018|work=BBC News|date=9 April 2018}}{{cite web|title=Royal Wedding Charitable Donations|date=4 April 2018|url=https://www.royal.uk/wedding-charity-donations|publisher=The Royal Household|accessdate=17 May 2018}}

There are 11 Skylight Centres covering East London (Aldgate), Brent, Croydon, Oxford, Merseyside, South Wales, South Yorkshire, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Coventry. Crisis Skylight Centres are accredited education, training and employment centres, offering practical and creative workshops in supportive and inspiring environments, together with formal learning opportunities that lead to qualifications and finding work.

Crisis Skylight London opened in 2002,{{cite web |url=http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/donate/crisis_urban_investors_brochure.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405194321/http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/donate/crisis_urban_investors_brochure.pdf |archive-date=5 April 2012 |url-status=dead }} with a Crisis Skylight Cafe social enterprise opening on the same site on Commercial Street in East London in 2004. In 2007, Crisis Skylight Newcastle opened,{{Cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/news-archive/2007/01/10/bringing-hope-to-troubled-souls-72703-18436254/|title = Bringing hope to troubled souls|date = 10 January 2007}} followed by Crisis Skylight Birmingham and Crisis Skylight Edinburgh in 2010, Crisis Skylight Oxford{{cite news|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/9323317.Old_Fire_Station_is_ready_for_business/ |title=Old Fire Station is ready for business |work=Oxford Mail |date=24 October 2011}} and Crisis Skylight Merseyside{{cite web |url=https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/merseyside/ |title=Crisis Skylight Merseyside|accessdate=2 August 2021}} in 2011 and Crisis Skylight Croydon in 2017.

Since 1972 Crisis at Christmas has been offering food, warmth, companionship and services to people experiencing homelessness in London over the Christmas period. The project is run almost entirely by around 10,500 volunteers, making it the largest volunteer-led event in the UK.{{cite web |url=https://community.crisis.org.uk/impact-report-2016/christmas-2016 |title=CHRISTMAS 2016 - Crisis |website=community.crisis.org.uk |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102082326/https://community.crisis.org.uk/impact-report-2016/christmas-2016 |archive-date=2 January 2017 |url-status=dead}} In 2016, about 4,600 homeless people come through the doors. Since 2020, Crisis at Christmas has operated in three hotels across London, accommodating 450 people who would otherwise be sleeping rough over the Christmas period. The charity also runs four temporary day centres in London for up to 4,800 people in insecure living situations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/crisis-opens-its-services-to-people-who-would-otherwise-be-sleeping-rough-this-christmas/|title=Crisis opens its services to people who would otherwise be sleeping rough this Christmas|website=Crisis}}

Services offered at Christmas include internet access, entertainment, food and drink, healthcare, opticians, podiatry, dentistry, natural healing and hairdressing.{{cite web |url=http://www.crisis.org.uk/news.php?id=185 |title=Hundreds access Crisis at Christmas services |website=www.crisis.org.uk |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405194343/http://www.crisis.org.uk/news.php?id=185 |archive-date=5 April 2012 |url-status=dead}}

During the key winter period Crisis at Christmas has centres in London, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Birmingham.{{cite web|url=https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/crisis-at-christmas/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230181719/https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/crisis-at-christmas/|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 December 2017|title=Crisis at Christmas|work=crisis.org|date=30 December 2017|access-date=30 December 2017}}

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. The charity has stated: "We know that homelessness is not inevitable. We know that together we can end it."{{cite web |url=http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/crisis-history.html |title=Crisis history |accessdate=22 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007200641/http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/crisis-history.html |archivedate=7 October 2009 }}

In October 2011, Crisis launched a campaign to improve the assistance and support provided by Local Authorities to single homeless people.{{cite web|url=http://www.crisis.org.uk/pressreleases.php/458/scandal-of-homelessness-must-be-societys-top-priority-says-crisis-at-bfi-southbank-cathy-come-home-s |title=Together we will end homelessness |work=Crisis |date= |accessdate=31 December 2019}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.crisis.org.uk/ Crisis web site]
• {{EW charity |1082947}}

Category:Homelessness charities in the United Kingdom

Category:Charities based in London

Category:1967 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Organizations established in 1967