St Mungo's (charity)

St Mungo Community Housing Association

Abbreviation	St Mungo's
Type	Registered charity
Purpose	Supporting homeless people
Headquarters	3 Thomas More Square, Tower Hill, London E1W 1YW
Region served	Southern England
Website	mungos.org

St Mungo's hostel in Covent Garden at the junction of Endell Street and High Holborn. The building was formerly a national school and now accommodates 53 homeless people, providing training for a period of up to two years to try to get them into work.

The St Mungo Community Housing Association, working as St Mungo's, is a charity registered in England, and operating across several regions in the South East to help people experiencing homelessness. The charity provides accommodation and other services to find paths away from homelessness, as well as “influencing policy makers to make positive change, through the power of clients’ voices and [its] operational expertise”

Overview

Strategic purpose and missions

St Mungo’s states that its central purpose is “Ending Homelessness, Rebuilding Lives”. For over 55 years, the charity has worked on the ground to support rough sleepers, and with partners and government to address the systemic issues leading to increased homelessness in the UK. The organisation states its missions as:

1. Working directly with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, providing them with services to find paths away from the streets, for good.
2. Influencing policy makers to make positive change, through the power of clients’ voices and the charity’s operational expertise.

Service ethos

St Mungo’s service ethos focuses on a commitment to "doing everything possible to keep clients safe, empowering them in their individual recovery journeys and preventing homelessness in the future". The charity lists the following elements within this service ethos:

1. We build initial relationships and trust.
2. We keep clients safe and empower them to secure what they need to recover.
3. We help clients develop the skills they need to be independent and resilient.
4. We provide support that enables and empowers clients to move forward.

This then supports clients to grow their self belief and self determination, allowing them to “live a fulfilling life with purpose and meaning, away from homelessness.

Values

St Mungo’s lays out it’s values as follows:

1. “We are committed. We don’t give up”: dedicated to persevering through challenges, and delivering high quality work with a commitment to ending homelessness.
2. “We are creative. We find innovative ways to deliver our missions”: a commitment to listening, learning and finding new ways of overcoming obstacles, and tailoring support to individual clients.  
3. “We are inclusive. We value people for who they are”: ensuring that everyone in the organisation – clients, colleagues, and volunteers – has a voice, celebrating individuals’ strengths.  
4. “We are empowering. We support people to reach their potential”: seeking opportunities to improve skills, as well as working with clients to empower them in their own abilities.
5. “We are accountable. We take responsibility and we strive to improve”: taking ownership of actions and decisions; transparent communications and responsibility for outcomes. Fostering trust by doing what the charity says it will.

People supported

St Mungo’s supports single adults experiencing homelessness in the South East and South West of England. The charity works on the basis that no one experience of homelessness is the same, and recognises a number of factors that affect clients, including complex needs, multiple disadvantage, significant health inequalities, ex-offender status, marginalisation and lack of access to education.  

• Roughly 70% of clients experience mental health issues that could hinder recovery
• At least 20% of clients have a disability

• At least 40% of clients need support for alcohol addiction, and nearly 50% require drug support.

Charitable work

Outreach

St Mungo’s currently operates 13 outreach teams in areas across the South East of England. These teams receive referrals from the local council and the nationwide StreetLink service, which allows members of the public to refer people they’ve seen rough sleeping to support them in accessing support.  

Once a referral is received, the outreach team attends the reported spot to provide an assessment for the individual, with the aim of finding suitable accommodation as soon as possible. The charity states that while sometimes immediate accommodation is available, this is not always the case, and there is also a process of building trust with the individual and working with them to find a suitable route away from the streets.  

The teams also work in partnership with other organisations to help people access support, including physical and mental health services, drug and alcohol services, and legal services.

In 2023, the charity supported over 7,000 people who were rough sleeping.

Accommodation

Due to the variety of circumstances and needs of people experiencing homelessness, St Mungo’s offers a variety of accommodation options to its clients, including emergency hostels, semi-independent accommodation or private rented homes.

Housing First

Housing First is an internationally recognised programme designed to support people with complex needs who have been unable to sustain a long-term home. It provides a tenancy first as a platform for change, with intensive and flexible support to help clients address their needs at their pace. St Mungo’s is one of the largest providers of Housing First services in England.

Clearing house

Clearing House provides supported housing in London for people with a history of rough sleeping. All properties are self-contained one-bed or studio flats and are provided by housing associations as part of the Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI). Tenants of these flats are supported by Tenancy Sustainment Teams (TSTs), who provide a floating support service.

This service is a partnership with approximately 50 housing associations who provide the accommodation, two Tenancy Sustainment Teams to deliver the support and over 30 organisations who refer people sleeping rough from the street, hostels and other supported housing projects.

Health

St Mungo’s seeks to “provide environments and services that both protect and promote health and wellbeing”, and “support our clients to improve their health, to access the services they need, and to enable clients to better manage their health conditions”.

In addition to supporting all clients in accessing support from various agencies, particularly in the case of complex health needs, St Mungo’s also provides mental health support and runs two care homes in London.

Mental health

St Mungo’s supports its clients to access mental health support through partnership with both the NHS and local mental health provision. The charity also runs peer groups that “encourage clients to use their skills to help others with their resilience, confidence and mental health”.  

In addition, St Mungo’s offers a Bereavement Support service, recognising that bereavement can be a major contributing factor in trauma and homelessness.

Care homes

St Mungo’s runs two registered care homes for older men with complex needs, including poor physical health. These care homes provide “a secure environment for residents who have been homeless or slept rough during their lives".

As of the most recent inspections at both Hilldrop Road and Chichester Road, both care homes were rated “Good” by the Care Quality Commission.

Criminal justice

St Mungo’s Offender Services team has been providing support in prisons for almost 20 years. The charity runs “services commissioned under the “transforming rehabilitation” initiative by the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC), offering housing advice and support in 14 prisons: 13 in London and one in Hertfordshire”.

Learning, training and employment

St Mungo’s offers a number of programmes to support clients in developing employability and skills in a number of areas:

Putting Down Roots

Jonathan Trustram showing the use of self-seeding plants by the Putting Down Roots project in the Mint Street park. These guided tours formed part of the Chelsea Fringe in 2012.

Putting Down Roots is a horticultural training project that uses gardening as a tool to help people in their recovery. The project has been running for over 20 years, and is provided in several locations across London and Bristol.

In 2022, the Putting Down Roots team, and a number of St Mungo’s clients attended RHS Chelsea Flower Show, alongside Cityscapes London designer Darryl Moore, to present an urban pocket garden. The garden won a silver medal at the event and it was relocated to London Bridge City, Queens Walk, and outside St Guy’s Hospital.

Construction Skills

The Construction Skills project helps clients to progress from basic skills to more vocational training, such as learning trade skills. This includes painting and wallpapering, fitting locks and dry lining. Through connections with a number of construction firms, St Mungo's then helps clients to find work.

Women

Due to women experiencing homelessness differently to men (often becoming ‘hidden’ homeless, including sofa surfing), St Mungo’s offers specific services tailored for women. The organisation aims to create “an environment of physical and psychological safety for women” engaging with services. In 2022, St Mungo’s supported 1,767 women in its services.

The organisation also undertakes relevant research and strategy work in the interests of women experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Migrants

St Mungo’s operates two services that specifically support migrants: The Migrant Accommodation Pathways Support service, and the Roma Rough Sleeping Team.

Migrant Accommodation Pathways Support service (MAPS)

St Mungo’s Migrant Accommodation Pathways Support service supports non-UK nationals rough sleeping in London or at risk of doing so.

The team works to identify clients’ entitlements and accommodation options, as well as working with other professionals to support people in finding a route away from homelessness.

MAPS also provides open resources for anyone working with non-UK nationals experiencing homelessness.

The Roma Rough Sleeping Team

The aim of the Roma Rough Sleeping Team is to ensure no-one from the Roma community has to sleep rough in London.  

The organisation works with partners across statutory, voluntary and faith-based services to:

• Understand the needs of people from the Roma community.

• Ensure equal and culturally competent access to services and accommodation.

• Develop best practice and share learning.

Pets

St Mungo’s is one of the very few homelessness organisations that accept pets in accommodation services, recognising the importance of companionship that a pet can provide. In 2024, the charity conducted polling that showed 50% of individuals have been forced to choose their pets over housing or face homelessness.

Each year in August, the charity runs Take The Lead, a dog walking fundraising challenge asking pet owner to raise money by walking a marathon (26 miles) or an ultra marathon (50 miles) over the course of the month.

Origins and history

St. Mungo's Community began as a splinter group from The Simon Community, known for its success in alcoholic recoveries. At a time where a shortage of funds drove the charity into constant reorganisation, and the closure of the East End shelter in Sclater Street, a new house was arranged with the support of Conservative MP James Allason, located on Home Road, Wandsworth. Harry Stone, who became the secretary, treasurer and fundraiser of the new charity, selected Jim Horne as its new chairman.  

Horne originally pressed for the name St Mungo’s due to him being Scottish, and the – albeit false – hope that Glasgow Cathedral might be persuaded to make an ample donation if it was named after their patron saint. Among his early helpers was Graham Parr who went on to start up the original Vauxhall Broadway hostel, and with the support of Wandsworth Council, the Mayor opened a second house, which was also on Home Road.

St. Mungo’s gained the interest of the Department of Health and Social Services and Jim Horne persuaded the Minister Sir Keith Joseph to spend an evening on the soup run. The department subsequently offered major financial support for further possible development. The organisation was later completely reorganised, and qualified accountants, medical practitioners and psychiatrists were appointed as additional trustees.  

In May 1969, due to reorganisations and a cutting back in management, its soup run – which was a nightly distribution of soup in six locations in London's West End - was to be ended. However, in 1970, the council provided three more houses nearby. The fourth house was used as an office by the developing organisation.

A large hostel, accommodating up to 200 people, was started in a disused Marmite factory in Vauxhall in 1973. In the same year, another large hostel was opened in the former Charing Cross Hospital on the Strand. The hospital had been relocated to Fulham and Jim Horne negotiated cheap terms for occupation of the old building with the Greater London Council pending its conversion to a police station.

In 1979, Jim Horne left and the organisation split into three. The Charing Cross hostel was managed by a new charity — St Mungo's Community Housing Association until it was closed and replaced by a refurbished building in Endell Street, Covent Garden. The Marmite hostel became Bondway Shelter, registered as a separate housing association. The St Mungo's Community Trust then focussed upon the soup run and partnered with other organisations, such as the Shepherd's Bush Housing Association, to open a hostel in Fulham. In 1980, the soup run was passed on to the Bondway organisation and the original trust now operates as Hestia Housing and Support. It was renamed to avoid confusion with the St Mungo's Community Housing Association, which now operates as "St Mungo's".

Today St Mungo's has grown and developed a wide range of services becoming the largest charity supporting people experiencing homelessness in London. By 2011, it managed over a hundred sites across southern England providing accommodation in hostels, group houses and independent units or offering other services to people experiencing homelessness. In 2023, the charity supported over 28,000 people across the South East of England.

Controversies

Home Office compliance teams

In March 2018, St Mungo's confirmed to The Guardian newspaper that it had cooperated with Home Office immigration, compliance and enforcement (ICE) teams, who were responsible for identifying rough sleepers who were deemed as living in the UK illegally. The North East London Migrant Action group said: "The role of homelessness charities should be to uphold the rights of vulnerable people. St Mungo's have forfeited the trust of asylum seekers and other migrants who sleep rough by working with the Home Office who have people deported from the UK."

While acknowledging that their outreach teams had worked with the Home Office, St Mungo's said that their role was to protect the rights of the homeless: "We took the decision that it was better to be there to provide support to vulnerable people sleeping rough than not be able to advocate for them at these times. Our role should not be confused with that of enforcement agencies.".

Pay dispute 2023

From 27 June 2023 workers at St Mungo's started an indefinite strike in a dispute over pay. The dispute related to the nationally agreed pay increase for the year 2021/22. The workers accused management of a dereliction of duty towards the homeless and the charity's own staff.

On 25 August, Unite the Union voted to accept an offer made by St Mungo’s at ACAS, in a members’ ballot. The offer gave St Mungo’s staff earning up to and including point 36 on the National Joint Council (NJC) pay scale, £1,200 per year, every year, as a St Mungo’s allowance, alongside the annual NJC award.

See also

• Homelessness in England

External links

• "Our history of helping homeless people", a history of the current St Mungo's
• 40 year history History of Hestia, the original St Mungo's Community Trust
• A history of Thames Reach and homelessness in London, the successor to the Bondway spin-off
• About the Simon community, which started the original soup run and has now restarted such outreach projects