# Centrepoint’s Christmas appeal focuses on risks young people take to get off the streets

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/10/12/centrepoints-christmas-appeal-focuses-on-risks-young-people-take-to-get-off-the-streets/
- Published: 2015-10-12T08:48:06+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Centrepoint, the charity for homeless young people, has launched its Christmas
appeal, highlighting the desperate measures that homeless people aged 16-25 take
to try to get off the streets.**

Centrepoint’s national advertising campaign reveals that young people turn to self-
harming, prostitution and committing crimes as desperate if short-term solutions
to their housing problems.

The campaign is based on [research for Crisis by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research](http://www.crisis.org.uk/publications-search.php?fullitem=310)
at Sheffield Hallam University, originally conducted n 2010 and 2011.

## Advertisement

## “At least she has some options”

The newspaper adverts highlight these options in tick-box format, suggesting that
Chloe, the young woman featured, “has some options” It’s just that these options
are dire. The research for Crisis reveals:

• Almost a third of homeless young people (28%) have committed a minor crime, such
as shoplifting or antisocial behaviour, in the hope of being taken into custody 
for the night.

• 18% have attempted to admit themselves to A&E to spend a night in hospital

• 11% have entered into a sexual partnership in order to get a bed for the night.
One in four young women have engaged in sex work specifically in order to fund accommodation
and have a place to sleep.

Matt Wilk, Head of Marketing and Communications at Centrepoint, said:

> “Homeless young people are taking huge risks to get off the streets. We felt compelled
> to illustrate these harrowing and upsetting situations in our Christmas ad campaign
> to demonstrate how vital public donations are at this time of year”.

Centrepoint is encouraging people to [donate this winter](http://centrepoint.org.uk/donate),
focusng on £15 as the amount that “could give a young homeless person a warm, safe
room, hot meal and support in rebuilding their life.

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