London Overground stations along the future Mildmay line partner with Crisis to fundraise on World Homeless Day | RailBusinessDaily

Transport for London (TfL) and Arriva Rail London have partnered with the national homelessness charity Crisis to fundraise on World Homeless Day at five stations along what will become the London Overground Mildmay line later this year.

On Thursday 10 October, any customers who buy hot drinks at cafes at Camden Road, Gospel Oak, Hackney Central, Highbury & Islington, and Shepherd’s Bush London Overground stations will support people experiencing homelessness. TfL and Arriva Rail London will donate the cost of those hot drinks to Crisis up to £1,000 per station*, and Crisis volunteers will also fundraise at stations along the London Overground Mildmay line. Alongside this, TfL will host various charities across the transport network to further raise awareness of homelessness and how to support those who are homeless.

Arriva Rail London is also partnering with City Harvest this October to help deliver 50,000 meals to those in need across the capital. London Overground staff will host food collection points at 17 London Overground stations and will work with City Harvest to divert quality food from local businesses that would otherwise go to waste and redistribute it to those facing food poverty across London.**

Later this year, London Overground lines will be given new names and colours in a historic change to capital’s transport network. The London Overground line, which runs between Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford, will be named the Mildmay line to honour the small NHS charitable hospital that has been caring for all Londoners over many years, notably its pivotal role in the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and its ongoing work to support people experiencing homelessness today.

Crisis partners with Pathway, the leading homeless healthcare charity, which works with Mildmay Hospital. The hospital became the first specialist unit aiming to provide a pioneering step-down medical service to support people experiencing homeless in London and surrounding areas in 2020.*** Mildmay Hospital now runs a ground-breaking service employing the expertise of doctors, nurses and therapists to ease the burden on NHS hospitals by providing rehabilitative healthcare for people are facing homelessness or rough sleeping and recovering from illness or injury. Once discharged from Mildmay, the aim is that people will be supported by specialist homelessness charities.

Trish Ashton, Director of Rail Services at TfL, said: “Homelessness affects too many people in the capital and we are committed to doing all we can to support them. Mildmay was chosen as one of the new names for the six London Overground lines in part because of their pioneering work to support people experiencing homelessness.

“We hope that our activities along what will become the London Overground Mildmay line later this year on World Homeless Day will not only help to raise thousands of pounds to support the vital work Crisis does to support people experiencing homelessness across London and the UK but will encourage our customers to think about how they can also support homeless charities.”

Executive Director of Brand, Marketing and Fundraising, Rob Halkyard, at Crisis, said: “We are so grateful to be fundraising on what will become the London Overground Mildmay line this year for World Homelessness Day.

“We know that being without a home puts people at greater risk of physical and mental health conditions and in the worst cases, sadly shortens people’s lives. Mildmay Hospital does incredible work with people facing homelessness to help rebuild their health so they can move on from homelessness. That’s why it’s very special to be fundraising on a line named after a hospital that tackles the health inequalities of some of the most marginalised people in society.

“The generous donations we receive from people travelling along the line will help us to continue our vital work to support people to leave homelessness behind and ensure that one day we see it ended for good.” 

Geoff Coleman, Chief Executive of Mildmay Hospital, said: “Along with other homelessness charities across London, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Mayor of London and his team in our efforts to end homelessness in the capital by 2030 and really support this fundraising activity along the future London Overground Mildmay line.”

The Mayor of London has pledged to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030. The Mayor has committed £10 million to fund an expanded network of homeless hubs across the capital. The hubs are designed to help an extra 1,700 rough sleepers every year with rapid assessment and rehousing.****

Tom Copley, the Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, said: “It’s fantastic to see TfL and Arriva Rail London backing the important work that Crisis do and joining the Mayor in his mission to tackle homelessness and make London a fairer, safer place for everyone. 

“I’m grateful to all Londoners who will give what they can to support this important cause by buying a hot drink or donating when using the future London Overground Mildmay line. Every single contribution will help make a difference and be a fitting way to honour the legacy of the Mildmay Hospital which continues to provide care and support for people facing homelessness and rough sleeping across the capital.”

Helping rough sleepers to get the support they need is also a key priority for TfL. People sleeping rough are highly vulnerable and require support from specialist outreach and other services. TfL’s safeguarding team assess reports of rough sleeping from front line staff and works with the relevant support services to assist the vulnerable individuals.

For more information on how TfL supports people experiencing homelessness visit here

*TfL and Arriva Rail London will make a joint donation to Crisis of £5,000 to mark World Homeless Day to support their work to help people experiencing homelessness across the capital, and to help raise awareness of the meaning behind the new name for London Overground Mildmay line, which will launch later this year.

About the London Overground line names

Each of the six London Overground lines will be given a new name and colour, to make it easier for customers to navigate the network, while celebrating London’s diverse culture and history:

• The Liberty line: Romford to Upminster
• The Lioness line: Euston to Watford Junction
• The Mildmay line: Stratford to Richmond/Clapham Junction
• The Weaver line: Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford
• The Windrush line: Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon
• The Suffragette line: Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside

**About Arriva Rail London City Harvest partnership

Until 31 October, London Overground staff will host food collection points at 17 stations:

• Acton Central
• Barking Riverside
• Camden Road
• Carpenders Park
• Dalston Kingsland
• Enfield Town
• Hackney Downs
• Hackney Wick
• Highams Park
• Honor Oak Park
• Kensington Olympia
• Kilburn High Road
• Norwood Junction
• Shoreditch High Street
• South Tottenham
• Sydenham
• West Croydon

***About Mildmay Hospital’s step-down programme

Mildmay’s step-down homeless pathway is the first of its kind in London and has demonstrated innovation as well as facilitated a practical response to the pandemic. Holistic and person-centred, the pathway aims to support patients with appropriate housing, linking patients with relevant community support services and external partners, as well as delivering medical, nursing and therapy input. For more information visit here

****About Mayor of London’s homeless hubs

The Mayor of London commissions St Mungo’s to provide No Second Night Out (NSNO) hubs, which ensure that people arriving on the streets will not sleep rough for a second night. They are safe places for people to be assessed by professional teams, so plans can be made quickly to support them to the next step, away from the streets. There are four hubs in London these are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. People can contact No Second Night Out at [email protected]

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