High temperatures can affect anyone, but people experiencing homelessness are at particular risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and sunburn.
Nobody should have to sleep rough and everybody can do something to help. We are issuing the following advice for anyone who wants to help people experiencing homelessness during hot weather.
Report concern about someone
If you are concerned about someone who is experiencing rough sleeping, contact Oxford Street Population Outreach Team (OxSPOT).
OxSPOT helps people experiencing homelessness access accommodation and the support they need to rebuild their lives. We commission St Mungo’s to provide this service.
To give details about someone experiencing rough sleeping – including their location – call OxSPOT during office hours on 07590 862049 or email Outreach.Oxford@mungos.org.
This is not an emergency service but OxSPOT will follow up all calls and emails as soon as possible.
You can also report a concern through the StreetLink website or app.
If you believe someone’s health is in immediate danger, please call 999.
Heat-health alerts and extra services
We provide extra services for people experiencing rough sleeping when the UK Health Security Agency and Met Office issue a yellow, amber or red heat-health alert.
Yellow alert
OxSPOT provides an enhanced outreach service. This includes distributing water, sunscreen and hats, signposting people to services and making health assessments and welfare checks.
Amber alert
In addition to yellow alert services, cool spaces are made available with active health monitoring.
Red alert
In addition to yellow and amber alert services, we make discretionary hotel placements available for people assessed to be most at risk.
Day services
People experiencing rough sleeping can avoid the sun and get food, showers and shade at day services. We fund day services that are provided by The Gatehouse and The Porch Day Centre.
The Gatehouse is at 10 Woodstock Road, and provides a drop-in café for homeless and precariously housed people six days a week. The Gatehouse also offers free internet access, a clothes store and art, literacy and computer activities groups.
The Gatehouse also runs a shower project which is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Guests can book a space during café opening hours, by calling 01865 792999 or emailing admin@oxfordgatehouse.org.
The Porch Day Centre in Magdalen Road is open between 8.15am and 3.30pm on weekdays. Breakfast is served between 8.15am and 10.30am, with lunch from noon until 1.30pm. Services and activities from 2pm until 3.30pm are by appointment only.
A group of Oxford churches has also opened The Living Room, a referral-only service which opens on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. As well as respite from the heat, The Living Room offers free internet access, shower and laundry facilities, hot and cold drinks and snacks.
For other day services available for people experiencing rough sleeping, see the Daily Services pages on the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement website.
Water
OxSPOT will provide water, sunscreen and hats to people on the streets during its daily rounds. Water is also available at day services and at Café from Crisis in George Street.
As part of its campaign to reduce the use of single-use plastic water bottles, Refill has set up a network of refill stations throughout the city – where people can refill water bottles for free rather than buying a new one.
Participating organisations and businesses display a Refill sticker in their windows. You can find a full list of Refill stations by downloading the Refill app.
The Town Hall Café and all our leisure facilities have signed up to the Refill scheme. There are also water fountains in Bury Knowle Park, Cutteslowe Park and Florence Park.
Donate
We believe the best way to help people experiencing homelessness is to support them to come inside, where services can engage with them and offer the help they need to leave the streets behind.
If you would like to give items like water, sunscreen, sunglasses or hats to people experiencing rough sleeping, you can donate these to services as well as directly to individuals.
You can find details of services and how you can help with time, money or in kind on the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement website.
