August 2021 Issue 133: Know Your Rights Missing
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The free magazine for homeless people July – August 2021 Issue 133: Know Your Rights Missing David Skerrett Vin Bu David went missing from Bognor Regis, Vin has been missing from Reading, West Sussex on 8 May 2019. He was 63 Berkshire since 5 October 2020. He years old at the time. was 16 at the time of his disappearance. David, we’re here for you whenever you Vin can call our free, condential need us. We can talk through your helpline for support and options, send a message for you and advice without judgement and the help you be safe. Call/text 116 000. opportunity to send a message to It’s free and condential. loved ones. Call/text 116 000 or email [email protected]. If you think you may know something about David or Vin, you can contact our helpline anonymously on 116 000 or [email protected], or you can send a letter to ‘Freepost Missing People’. Our helpline is also available for anyone who is missing, away from home or thinking of leaving. We can talk through your options, give you advice and support or pass a message to someone. Registered charity in England and Wales (1020419) and in Scotland (SC047419) Free and condential A lifeline when someone disappears TURN TO PAGES A – P FOR THE LIST OF SERVICES 2 | the Pavement Issue 133: Know Your Rights WELCOME Cover: This issue's mesmeric cover § TURN TO PAGES A – P artwork is by Michelle Christopher, FOR THE LIST OF SERVICES founder of the Christopher Arts Foundation, a home for artists experiencing homelessness. See more of her artwork on Instagram at Contents Christopher Arts Foundation. About us ................................. 4 © Michelle Christopher Editorial .................................. 5 The Pavement magazine News ...............................6 – 11 Special ........................ 12 – 13 • www.thepavement.org.uk Interview.................... 14 – 15 • twitter.com/thepavementmag • facebook.com/thepavementmag Cartoon ................................16 • instagram.com/pavement_magazine Vagrancy act.......................17 Journey ....................... 18 – 19 London/Scotland Issue 133 July – August 2021 Vaccine ....................... 20 – 21 Published by the Pavement Mat's column ........... 22 – 23 Registered Charity Number 1110656 Pets .............................. 24 – 25 www.thepavement.org.uk Best & worst 2........... 26 – 27 Editor: Jake Cudsi [email protected] Neighbour ...........................28 Web editor: Kieran Hughes [email protected] Humour ................................29 Designer: Marco Biagini [email protected] Comic ....................................30 Writers/Researchers: Mat Amp (Deputy Editor), Paul Atherton, Your rights ...........................31 Nicola Baird, Alanna Baldwin, Regina Coker-Ogunsola, Giselle Green, Matt Hobbs, Kieran Hughes, Ian Kalman, Alastair Murray, The List (centre) ............A – P Garnet Roach, Chris Sampson, Sarka, Bronagh Sheridan, Sheryle Thomas, Steve Walker Artwork: Ken Pyne, Rosie Roksoph, Mike Stokoe The Pavement is written for your entertainment and information. London Co-ordinator: position vacant Whilst every effort is made [email protected] to ensure the accuracy of the Scotland Co-ordinator Marco Biagini publication, the Pavement cannot [email protected] be held responsible for the use of the information it publishes. The contents should not be relied upon The Pavement is a member of as a substitute for medical, legal or IMPRESS professional advice. The Pavement is The Independent Monitor of The a forum for discussion, and opinions Press. For more Information on the expressed in the paper are not Pavement’s complaints policy and necessarily those of the Pavement. how to make a complaint visit: The Pavement (print) ISSN 1757-0476 thepavement.org.uk/complaint The Pavement (online) ISSN 1757-0484 July / August 2021 the Pavement | 3 ABOUT US Welcome to the Pavement: a magazine for homeless readers We’re a small charity, founded in London in 2005, producing a pocket-sized mag full of news, views and cartoons that helps people in moments of crisis as well as giving info which may be needed to move on. Right in the centre is a list of places to help you. We believe that sleeping rough is physically and mentally harmful, but reject the view that a one-size-fits-all approach to getting people off the ShowerBox founder with the streets works. Each issue we print previous issue of the Pavement 8,500 FREE bimonthly magazines © ShowerBox written for homeless and insecurely- housed readers in London and Summer essentials: Services such Scotland. You can find the Pavement as ShowerBox, offering free showers at hostels, day centres, homeless and access to essentials such as bottled water and sanitary products, surgeries, soup-runs and libraries. take on a huge importance during the summer months, as we battle to beat the heat and stay hydrated. Help needed So the Pavement was delighted to meet Sarah Lamptey (pictured We are always looking for volunteer above), founder of ShowerBox, at journalists and photographers to the service’s St Giles-in-the-Fields create exclusive content that’s home. You can now find copies of the Pavement here while the service written with our readers in mind. is open on Saturday, 11am-3pm. As We particularly welcome those pandemic restrictions are gradually who’ve experienced homelessness. lifted, many day centres will begin to Or can you fundraise or donate so open again. Find basic information we can keep providing the Pavement on a few of these in our centre for free? We also need London pages. Also, keep an eye out for volunteers to help with distribution. water refill stations beginning to A big thank you to our readers and be operational again. These refill stations can be found at major writers. transport stations across the UK. • [email protected] 4 | the Pavement Issue 133: Know Your Rights EDITORIAL Writing on rights Regular readers of the Pavement will know that our writers often write about the rights of homeless people, and are always finding wrongs to write about, too. But this issue’s theme isn’t some elaborate excuse to work The Clash into the issue. No, in this magazine we hope you learn a little more about your rights, and are, hopefully, made aware of how to right a few wrongs. You can find the regular news, views and cartoons inside, as well as a series of articles centred on the issue’s theme. These include a report into a groundbreaking Homeless Bill of Rights (p12); an interview with an NHS walk-in centre offering a dentistry service to homeless people (p14); and the latest on the miserable Vagrancy Act (p17). Following on from the takeover of our last issue by our solutions-based journalism trainees, many graduates of the European Journalism Centre-funded scheme have also contributed words to this magazine. This Charity walk: Good luck to Peter Henshaw (pictured) on his training is important when discussing the remarkable effort to walk from the rights of homeless people, and the skills they Scottish parliament in Edinburgh learned will help our readers better understand all the way to London – and then their rights, which should solve some wrongs. back again. Henshaw will cover So thanks to them, thanks to our other a distance of almost 900 miles, contributors, and thanks to you, the reader. raising funds for Shelter and Shelter Scotland. On his journey Please use the List on the centre pages of this Henshaw will be relying on mag to find food and recovery support. If you members of the public for food, have WiFi then go to www.pavement.org.uk. and will be sleeping rough to raise awareness of homelessness. Stay safe. • Follow his August journey: the Pavement team www.facebook.com/groups/13 www.pavement.org.uk 1492928820786/?ref=share July / August 2021 the Pavement | 5 NEWS Written by Jake Cudsi & Bronagh Sheridan Caroline Allouf (right) of Tricky Period at the Art auction group’s new pick-up point in King’s Cross. © Tricky Period A series of artworks were auctioned off in May during Mental Health Awareness Week to Tricky Period pick up support emerging artists and raise funds for The Haven + London, a Tricky Period, the group working to charity dedicated to supporting end period poverty by supplying the emotional, spiritual and mental sanitary products for free distribution wellbeing of the creative community across London, have opened a new in London. The Haven + London collection point in King’s Cross supports a number of artists station. The pick-up point is in experiencing homelessness, and the collaboration with London North works auctioned off will help to raise Eastern Railway (LNER), and is funds for these artists. The auction located at the information point was part of a wider exhibition run of the station’s main concourse. by The Haven + London called ‘The Anyone wanting a sanitary product Wilderness Project’. One of the artists only has to ask for the products they in the exhibition, Alice Karveli, who need at the collection point, and the has experienced homelessness since items will be provided free of charge the pandemic last year, outlined the and without question. The collection importance of the auction, saying point operates Monday – Sunday artists like herself “are actually trying from 9am – 8pm. to thrive and manage a life and an • To find your nearest Tricky Period art practice in such a changing and collection point, see the List, or challenging world, we definitely need visit https://trickyperiod.com/ support.” pick-up-points 6 | the Pavement Issue 133: Know Your Rights NEWS Renewed hostility So much for the Home Office being Housing reported the government “truly sorry” for the woeful Hostile had confirmed it missed its target, Environment policy, which was but wouldn’t say how many homes apparently disowned soon after had actually been built. an independent review into the Windrush scandal in 2018. More than 65 homelessness organisations Eviction notice signed a joint statement in May this year condemning government plans The Joseph Rowntree Foundation to use rough sleeping as grounds for warned a wave of evictions would removing someone from the UK.