Standard fund gives hope to homeless

A London charity has been able to provide rough sleepers with "lifesaving" thermals and sleeping bags this winter, thanks to the Evening Standard's Dispossessed campaign.

Streetlytes was given £17,250 to fund its winter help project, providing hot meals at its four centres in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, and packs of thermal underwear, gloves, socks, hats, sleeping bags and hygiene kits to 500 homeless people.

As it snowed, more than 50 turned up at the charity's drop-in centre in Portobello Road last week to collect their "warm winter" packs and share a three-course meal with Streetlytes' founder Rudi Richardson.

He told how about 300 people - from doctors and lawyers, teachers and translators - signed up to volunteer for the charity after reading the Standard's story last month.

The response was so "overwhelming" that Mr Richardson, 56, has set up a waiting list.

He said: "The Evening Standard has helped us to help others. It has helped us to touch the lives of hundreds of homeless out there, and keep them safe and warm this winter. It has been lifesaving."

Mr Richardson, who set up the charity after spending 33 years drifting in and out of addiction, prison and life on the streets, told of the moment his own life turned around. "I had got busted at HMV for stealing some CDs and I was in the back of a police car, sick on heroin, sweating.

"I get to the police station and I'm thinking 'I'm 50 years old and busted one more time', and the arresting officer turned around and said, 'Hey mate, would you like a cup of tea?'

"Tears came down my eyes. That dude gave me back my humanity and my life changed."

The men and women who sought solace in Streetlytes' centre said it had done the same for them. They include Odeth Ford, 40, who arrived with her two-year-old daughter after being evicted from her council flat. Now Streetlytes has found her a temporary home.

Another is Paul Mark, 50, who had been sleeping rough in the Strand. "It's not easy, you're always on edge," he said. "Rudi brought me a sleeping bag to the Strand. Now I'll soon be moving into one of his places."