Saving lives when temperatures drop below freezing

Many district and borough councils have activated Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (SWEP) - a humanitarian response to prevent deaths on the streets. It means they provide emergency accommodation while temperatures are dangerously low.

Porchlight is supporting this work. Our teams are out:

• finding people who are still sleeping outside
• helping them into warm, safe accommodation
• carrying out welfare checks
• distributing life-saving supplies funded by your donations.

Because weather can change rapidly, emergency responses be a challenge to implement. Many people on the streets will miss online announcements meaning that the best way to deliver the information is face-to-face.

This is where Porchlight comes in.

Our street team can make contact with people to let them know that help us available. Some of them will have complex mental health needs and find it difficult to accept help - this work is a chance for us to build trust towards accepting our help on a more permanent basis.

Severe Weather Emergency Protocols save lives when the weather is this dangerous. By working in partnership with local councils, day centres, night shelters and community groups, people are prevented from dying on the streets.

When the cold weather fades, it's our job to make sure those partnerships continue and that the people who need help are not forgotten.