Launching our Christmas appeal with an awareness-raising procession

Staff, trustees, volunteers and former clients walked through Dover last night (Tuesday 10 November) in the cold, wind and rain to highlight the risks faced by people with nowhere safe to sleep.

Thirty people took part in the awareness-raising 3km procession through the town and along the seafront, tracing the steps of Porchlight’s outreach workers. The workers will be out in all weathers this winter, finding people who need help and supporting them to access emergency accommodation.

It also highlighted hidden homelessness – the biggest barrier to Andy Burnham’s plans to getting everyone inside by Christmas.

Jacqui's story

Porchlight volunteer Jacqui knows all about this.

Jacqui, who was part of last night’s procession, used to be homeless in Dover. She would walk the seafront at night, too scared to sleep. She says: “I would walk up and down with blisters on my feet. I didn’t sleep. I thought the minute I stood still would be the minute I wouldn’t wake up.”

Jacqui became homeless after losing her job. Universal Credit payments weren’t enough to keep a roof over her head so she began rough sleeping. She managed to get a part-time cleaning job in the day but it wasn’t enough to help her off the streets.

When Porchlight found Jacqui, she’d been sleeping rough for 18 months. She was given somewhere to live and received emotional support that allowed her to begin trusting people again.

“I don’t know what would have happened to me if Porchlight hadn’t helped,” she says.

Public donations can save lives

Public donations will play a vital role in keeping people like Jacqui safe this winter.

They could pay for life-saving items like warm food, hot drinks, sleeping bags and tents. They can also fund simple, practical acts that build trust and bring someone closer to accepting help.

Donations can also fund the work that continues when someone is helped off the streets. They can provide decorations that turn bare walls into welcoming homes or pay for a new hobby. This can help someone reconnect with the person they used to be.

The true scale of homelessness in Kent and Medway

The challenge of keeping everyone safe this winter is bigger than official reports suggest.

According to the Government, 216 people are sleeping rough in Kent and Medway but the true number will be higher. There are people sleeping in cars, sheds, public toilets and woodland areas who are yet to be found.

The Prime Minister wants to offer everyone who’s rough sleeping a route off the streets by Christmas. We’re working with councils, housing associations and other charities to make this happen. Last night’s procession was about highlighting the scale of that challenge. Our outreach workers with be working diligently across Kent throughout November and December to find everyone who needs help.

The public’s support will be crucial. They can make a life-changing difference for people who will soon face freezing conditions and a fight to survive.

*The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has reported 216 people sleeping rough in Kent and Medway in June 2026.