Gail Porter voices new ‘Street Storage’ campaign, which shines a light on the reality of homelessness in 2022

Street Storage is launching a nationwide appeal to raise awareness of people experiencing homelessness, and to generate more funds to continue to provide them with free, accessible and safe storage for their belongings.

Figures published by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in October 2022 show a 21% rise in people sleeping rough in London between April and September of this year. At Street Storage, the charity is seeing this first hand, with 90 referrals made to us between August and October-compared to 170 made throughout the whole of 2021. Whilst the largest proportion of people we store for are street sleepers, people experience homelessness in many different ways.

The appeal, entitled ‘Everyday’, will be launched on November 17th 2022, and will include an animation with a voice over by presenter Gail Porter. The acclaimed artist is best known for her time as a model and presenter, including shows such as ‘The Big Breakfast’, ‘Children in Need’ and ‘Top of the Pops. Porter wanted to work on this project because of her previous struggles with homelessness. Porter says:

‘It’s rarely one reason that leads to becoming homeless and so your mind is already trying to cope with multiple things including anxiety, having no money, wondering where you might sleep. Worrying about whether your possessions, literally your lifeline, will be safe is another major concern. Street Storage is an incredibly practical solution with a hugely positive impact for the people it supports.’

The ‘Everyday’ campaign aims to enable Street Storage to centralise their service to improve access, increase the number of referrals they can accept and support the homeless community in more ways.

It became clear that the ‘Everyday’ appeal is in direct response to the rise in working poverty and Section 21 evictions alongside the Cost of Living Crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic. It asks some important questions such as ‘How would you go to work with three bags and a sleeping bag?’, ‘How would you go to house viewings or access key services?’.

The partnership between Porter and Street Storage was made possible by HelpFilm, a media production charity who supports charities for free, and Paul Cullen, a Talent agency. Both were incredibly generous with their time and expertise; this collaboration is a hallmark for how charities can work together to pool resources, particularly during an increasingly challenging funding climate.

Rachel Woolf, Founder and Director at Street Storage said of the ‘Everyday’ appeal: ‘It’s time for our small organisation to make a noise. To make a noise about the injustice so many people are facing, and about those fighting a system that breaks people daily. At Street Storage we offer an innovative solution that can often be the first step to better physical and mental wellbeing and a move away from the street.’

The charity has grown rapidly in its three years of work, experience that proves how barriers can be better overcome with early support from their storage solution and from the wide range of connections with other services that they can offer.

A man who was supported by Street Storage for over a year said on collecting his belongings: ‘If it were not for you, I would probably be dead. I was at a point where I had lost everything else – my house, my friends, my job. I didn’t lose my things. There is no-one like you’

Members of the public can support Street Storage either by sharing the film and the striking graphics which will accompany it on social media, and/or by donating to their Crowdfunder campaign. Thanks to the Aviva Community Fund, donations up to £250 will be matched, ensuring Street Storage can help even more people this winter.