Changing Lives’ Outreach Team Change the Lives of Rough Sleepers in Newcastle

CHANGING Lives Multiple Exclusion Team (MET) provide outreach to people who are rough sleeping in Newcastle.

The MET go out every single day of the year day at 6.30 in the morning to support those experiencing rough sleeping in and around Newcastle City Centre.

At this time of year, it’s cold and dark yet the team still find people seeking shelter in churchyards, shop and office doorways and at bus and train stations.

Their main role is to check whether the person they meet is well and has survived the night, especially in the freezing temperatures of winter.

From October 2024 to December 2024, the team encountered at least 1,180 instances of people sleeping rough in Newcastle.

Those experiencing homelessness or rough sleeping are 8 to 12 times more likely to die prematurely, particularly from chronic cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and those sleeping rough during winter are at even greater risk of ill health and long-term sickness. (MHCLG January 2025).

So, it’s more important than ever in winter that people rough sleeping receive this key support.

The MET also help people to meet other basic needs such as getting to doctors’ appointments and dental surgeries and signposting to other services that can support them to get out of the cycle of rough sleeping and move on to independent accommodation.

The team can also support with accessing benefits through making new claims and queries around existing claims, so people facing hard times can get the support they’re entitled to. If anybody who the team is supporting is struggling with addiction, the team can help them to receive community treatment through Changing Lives’ Newcastle Oaktrees programme.