This year’s theme for the Service of Commemoration for those who have died homeless in the past year is Coming Home.

UPDATE: Due to tube strikes taking place this Thursday, the event will be livestreamed in addition to the in person service.

Unfortunately, regardless of the determination of our staff and the people we work with, some people will never make it home. From cold weather to drug misuse, there are many things that can threaten people rough sleeping no matter how strong their resolve is. This might explain the short life expectancy of just 44 years old for people living on the streets. Equally disheartening, it’s estimated that someone passed while homeless every 7 hours in 2021.

Learn more about the stark realities of homelessness here.

Clearly, more must be done to protect those sleeping rough while they work towards a brighter future.

Empowering those with complex needs removes the blame from them onto a system that was never designed with them in mind. Perhaps, this approach to working with those sleeping rough could have helped Vasyl Sokyrka.

Vasyl came to London from Ukraine in search of a better life. Shortly after moving here, he was evicted from his home in south London. At this point, he moved into central London, sleeping rough. Due to the tough conditions of life on the streets, Vasyl passed away in 2020, aged just 41.

Commemoration Service for those who have died whilst homeless.

On Thursday 10th November 2022 at 11am, we will mourn all those who have passed while homeless in London over the past year – people like Vasyl and so many others.

Their names are read out to a congregation largely made up of people who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness, or work closely with people facing homelessness in London. If you would like to add someone’s name to be read at the ceremony, you can do so here.

This service is vitally important. No one in our society deserves to be forgotten and we must carry on their memory. The service also shows that people experiencing homelessness matter.

In this way, the Commemoration provides a space for mourning while reminding us of the importance of supporting those still on the streets.