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News in Brief : Issue 158

October 01 2025

News in brief by the Pavement Team

On the web

A new website was launched earlier this year by a community interest company (CIC) led by people with lived experience of homelessness, addiction, mental ill-health, poverty and the criminal justice system. Livedinsights.org platforms community-based research driven by individuals with direct experience, aiming to provide genuine insights into social issues. These insights intend to shape policy and influence strategy of organisations and service providers. Lived Insights is a York-based CIC providing space for homeless and marginalised voices.



A prize-winning picture from the MyLondon 2026 calendar. © Kenny Murphy
Picture perfect: The MyLondon 2026 calendar is set to be launched on World Homeless Day, 10 October, after its fundraising target was smashed by almost 40%. Homeless charity Cafe Art organises the MyLondon project, which sees disposable cameras handed out to people who are homeless or recently homeless. Participants are given a week to use up all of the film, before handing the cameras back. Photos are then shortlisted to feature in a calendar produced by the charity, profits of which go to the photographers and towards funding future calendars. Cafe Art is aiming to pay out £25,000 to photographers by the end of the MyLondon 2026 calendar project. An exhibition of selected photos promoting the calendar was open from 8 August to 30 September in south London.


Hypocrisy corner

In early August, Rushanara Ali, England’s homelessness minister, resigned from her role. The resignation followed reports she had evicted tenants at one of her properties to re-let the property for £700 more a month weeks later. The tenants had been told the property would be put up for sale after their eviction. The news first appeared in the i paper, noting in its report that Ali has previously spoken out against private renters being exploited, promising the Labour government would “empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases”. Next year the renters’ rights bill is expected to become law, banning landlords from ending tenancies in order to sell, only to relist said property at a higher rent.

  • See page 12 for a full report on the disgraced homelessness minister



Streets Fest in the sunshine. © the Pavement
Day in the park: The annual Streets Fest event took place in Finsbury Park, London on 4 September. Bringing together a host of charities and organisations, the annual event connects people experiencing homelessness with vital services. Hot food and entertainment was also provided for visitors, with a stage set up for live music and Streets Kitchen serving up meals. The festival is organised by Streets Kitchen, Islington Council and Haringey Council and runs every year, usually on a September date. 


Blanket tech

Congratulations to Rebecca Young, the 13-year-old Scottish schoolgirl who has been named a “girl of the year” by Time magazine. Young received the accolade for inventing a solar-powered thermal blanket for rough sleepers to use during cold temperatures. So far, 30 blankets have been manufactured and distributed by engineering firm Thales, with plans to make 120 more and provide them to homeless charities in Glasgow. Speaking on her invention, Young said: “The idea came from seeing how hard it is for people living on the streets of Glasgow, especially during winter, and wanting to create something that could make a real difference.”



A look at the ANEW way to Peel an Orange exhibition in Manchester. © Jules Lister
Art class: An exhibition in Greater Manchester features work by artists in substance abuse recovery, some of whom have experience of homelessness. A partnership project between contemporary arts organisation Portraits of Recovery, Manchester's Castlefield Gallery and Hyde recovery community ANEW, was established earlier in the year. Over five months, designer Joe Hartley made twice weekly visits to Hyde recovery community ANEW as artist in residence. Around 60 people attended the workshops, with numerous contributing works to ANEW way to Peel an Orange, an exhibition showcasing the project’s achievements. Hartley’s residence is believed to be the first of its kind held at a treatment and recovery service. ANEW way to Peel an Orange is being held at Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt St, Greater, Manchester M15 4GB until 19 October 2025. Entry is free.


Punk festival

A three-day festival of punk was held in Glasgow in September, with all profits from the event going to local homeless charity Homeless Project Scotland. The festival was organised by Beyond the Gap, a husband and wife-run DIY promotion team. Acts that performed at the festival include Gimp Fist and Meryl Streek. According to The Herald, a punk rock quiz was also held at the event, which featured DJs as well. Organisers Beyond the Gap said the festival was an opportunity to celebrate “punk’s power to challenge, uplift and unite.”



Team Mexico at the 2024 Homeless World Cup. © Anita Milas 
Kicking on: The 20th edition of the Homeless World Cup (HWC) was held in Oslo, Norway from 23-30 August. The week-long event features a men’s and a women’s tournament, bringing together over 500 players, representing 63 teams from 48 nations, with this year’s trophies won by Uganda (women) and Egypt (men). Uganda defeated the holders Mexico 6-0 in the women’s final, preventing the Mexican women from winning their seventh HWC title in a row, while Egypt beat Portugal 4-3 in the men’s. The tournament, which took place at Rådhusplassen (City Hall Square) and was open to the public and free to attend, was organised locally by The Salvation Army Norway. Matches took place in front of crowds and were also available to stream globally. Impact research on previous editions has shown that 94% of players report a positive effect on their lives from playing at the tournament. You can watch video content from the HWC here: www.youtube.com/@HomelessWorldCup


Housing crisis

Shelter Scotland has warned that Edinburgh City Council faces an “impossible task” to ease the city’s homelessness crisis without significant government support. In April the council suspended council housing allocations for all except those presenting to the council as homeless, with very few exceptions. Despite this move, 217 homeless households could not be provided housing by the council. Commenting on the crisis enveloping Edinburgh, Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson told the Edinburgh Reporter: “The situation has not emerged overnight; it is the result of decades of underinvestment in social housing and a failure to provide councils with the tools they need to fulfil their legal duties.”

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