Is it possible to fully recover? What aids recovery? Is recovery only about addiction? How do the views of others impact recovery? What does recovery look like? Can we recover on our own? These questions, and others like it, were pondered when Listen Up!’s community reporters met in 2022 to think about Recovery Month which takes place every September. Mat is a project officer and Mashesh a community reporter with the Listen Up project; a lived experience-led project, kickstarting major change towards better healthcare access and life expectancy for people facing homelessness. In this podcast ..read more

 Is it possible to fully recover? What aids recovery? Is recovery only about addiction? How do the views of others impact recovery? What does recovery look like? Can we recover on our own? Karen and Laura are community reporters with the Listen Up project; a lived experience-led project, kickstarting major change towards better healthcare access and life expectancy for people facing homelessness. In this podcast, Karen and Laura share their experiences of addiction, recovery, mental health and homelessness giving hope to others and sharing what helped them get through. Content warning thi ..read more

This podcast has been inspired by a research project conducted on behalf of Fulfilling Lives Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham. Fulfilling Lives in a nationwide project funded by the national lottery community fund that aims to support people with multiple disadvantage. It tests new ways of ensuring individuals receive joined up and person-led services which work for them. Multiple disadvantage in this case refers to people who experience challenges with mental-ill health, substance use, homelessness or contact with the criminal justice system. In the podcast you will hear from the expert by expe ..read more

This podcast is based on research conducted by volunteers with experience of homelessness which explores the connection between benefits, health and homelessness. It illustrates how poor health can compound the challenges navigating the benefits system for people experiencing homelessness. This podcast features the voices of Groundswell staff and volunteers and is funded by Trust for London ..read more

Over the last few months COVID-19 and the response to the pandemic has had a significant impact on people experiencing homelessness. The researchers and mobile reporters have made a podcast exploring peoples experiences so far. Groundswell have been working alongside people experiencing homelessness to ensure their views and experiences are represented and acted on. Our reference group of people with experience of homelessness have been critical in the delivery of this research project. One member of the reference group said: “Overall, my experience being involved with the COVID reference grou ..read more

Working with our volunteers – people who have slept rough and those residing in hostels and temporary accommodation - Groundswell has developed resources to support people experiencing homelessness during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. People experiencing homelessness are disproportionately affected by poor health and often face challenges accessing the healthcare and support they need. Measures being taken to combat the spread of coronavirus are likely to impact significantly on the lives of people who are homeless. This podcast features adaptation on the Government's coron ..read more

The prevalence of suicide amongst the homeless community is disproportionate to that of the general population. As part of the Comic Relief funded 'From the Ground Up' partnership between Groundswell and the Pavement magazine, volunteers with experience of homelessness were trained as peer journalists. They researched different organisations (Samaritans, CALM, #deardistressed, Maytree, Mind, For Professionals, Storm) offering advice and counselling to people who found themselves feeling suicidal. You can read the accompanying Pavement magazine here: https://groundswell.org.uk/wp-content/u ..read more

Working whilst homeless was something the peer journalists wanted to explore - controversial yet seemingly common necessity for many people experiencing homelessness, despite their difficult circumstances. For most people working while homeless is really tough. But for others having a job, or regular volunteering, can help you stay afloat and integrate you into society. This podcast, created by volunteer peer journalists trained through the Comic Relief funded 'From the Ground Up' partnership between Groundswell and the Pavement magazine, explores the issues and realities of working whilst hom ..read more

In this podcast, we report how difficult it is to get help when you have a dual diagnosis, the medical term used when you have both mental health and addiction issues at the same time. This podcast is part of the Comic Relief funded 'From the Ground Up' partnership between Groundswell and the Pavement magazine, volunteers with experience of homelessness were trained as peer journalists. You can read the accompanying Pavement magazine here: https://groundswell.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Jan-Feb-2018-The-Pavement-Shame-Feature-Edition.pdf ..read more

Stigma plays a big part in the narrative around homelessness and the complex stories that land people in the situation. This podcast is recorded as part of the Comic Relief funded 'From the Ground Up' partnership between Groundswell and the Pavement magazine, where volunteers are trained to become peer journalists. Here they explore the stigma surrounding homelessness.  ..read more