Rough sleeping rise prompts drive to support young homeless people

National youth homeless charity Depaul UK says demand in London for the emergency accommodation it provides quadrupled last year.

As a result it has launched a campaign to encourage potential volunteers to sign up to for its Nightstop service – emergency accommodation for 16- to 25-year-olds in the homes of approved volunteers who are willing to provide help for young people in need.

Around 700 volunteers currently take part in the scheme.

In 2014, Nightstop provided 13,400 "bed nights" compared with 11,755 bed nights in 2013, an increase of 14 per cent.

However Depaul says further capacity is urgently required.

Martin Houghton-Brown, chief executive of Depaul, said: “More young people than ever are sleeping in unsafe places.

"We saw demand for our emergency accommodation services soar over 300 per cent in London last year.

“Nightstop has been running for over 20 years and our experience shows it is a safe and positive experience for volunteers and for young people who come to stay.

“It also helps us make a lasting change in young people’s lives – much more so than a bit of spare change will do.”