[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”20px” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”20px” padding_left=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ layout=”1_3″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding=”” dimension_margin=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”no”]
[fusion_text]
[/fusion_text]
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ layout=”2_3″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding=”” dimension_margin=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”no”][fusion_text]
The number of rough sleepers in Birmingham has increased dramatically.
Last night volunteers walked the streets of Birmingham, it was part of a week of reflecting on As Suffa Homeless Outreach which is now 5 years old.
Volunteers retraced the route they took five years ago to reflect on what they had learned and to see how many people were still sleeping rough. We expected to see a few, but not as many as we did. We thought the lessons of Chiriac’s sad demise would have galvanised more work- and we’re sure it has but it’s fruits need to be delivered faster.
(Who is Chiriac? It is the name of the gentleman who passed away from the cold a little over two weeks ago)
The number of people sleeping on New Street is incredibly sad, the number of people sleeping on cobbled stone in Digbeth is shocking. But we become immune to them.
As one of the rough sleepers sign read ‘I’m homeless, but I feel invisible’. We would alter it to read ‘I am a human and I feel invisible’
All in all, we reflect on five years and realise that we need to do a lot more.
Time to pat each other on the back will come in the afterlife. As for now? we need to refocus, recalibrate and work harder than ever before.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
