Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day where good can take over.
Today, 29 November, is all about celebrating each and every single act of generosity we have to offer.
Thanks to the generosity of the community, we are able to give in so many ways.
We give:
physical support to meet basic needs in the form of food, warmth, laundry facilities and clothing
practical support to help people make positive choices to move forward with their lives
a safe haven for people to escape from chaos in lives
And we importantly, we give much needed spiritual and emotional support.
Sadly, we have lost several members of our community over the past few months, and many have been unable to attend funerals to show their respects and say a final goodbye.
So today we gave thanks and celebrated the lives of friends and family who are no longer with us.
We gave an opportunity for everyone to gather together, and to share grief and memories of these much-loved people.
Our Trustee Tony Sharpe lead our celebration of lives, which included a reading of ‘A Little Bird’, a poem by Donna Ashworth, in her book of poems Loss.
Chris Peace sang Tears In Heaven and after, we lit candles to remember those we love.
The ONS recently released new statistics detailing the number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness for the calendar year of 2021. The key statistics are as follows:
There were 741 reported deaths of people experiencing homelessness – an increase of 7.7% since 2020
13.4% of estimated deaths were due to suicide, an annual increase of 34%
The estimated number of deaths among homeless people has increased by 54% since records began in 2013
Since 2013 the rate of death has increased in every region
The homelessness charity Crisis suggest the average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 46 for men and 42 for women, and homeless people are over nine times more likely to take their own life than the general population.
Give each day
While awareness days give us focus, each of us has the power to give and be generous in new and unexpected ways every day.
When we commit to thinking, "What good can I do today?" we begin to recognise how we are inextricably connected to others, and them to us.
We invite you to visit our Christmas Giving page, so we can continue giving each day.
Give us a shout out and follow us on social media: we’re active on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Grief can be overwhelming, and you don't have to deal with it alone. Contact Cruse Bereavement Support on 0808 808 1677
If you are struggling with grief, or anything else, contact the Samaritans on 116 123.