Homeless people in the capital were able to celebrate New Years Eve thanks to a Wembley councillor’s campaign.
Cllr Sam Stopp, a founding member of the Labour Campaign to End Homelessness, was out with volunteers on New Years Eve distributing food and drink to rough sleepers while revellers partied under fireworks.
Cllr Stopp said: “You’re looking at two nations literally in front of you as you walk down the Strand. Drunken revellers enjoying themselves, fireworks going off and people huddled up in shop doorways, freezing and very hungry, it’s quite poignant.”
He added: “On New Years Eve, we put a message out to members asking them to join us on the streets of London because obviously homeless people can find Christmas and New Year particularly daunting.”
They focussed their efforts on Wood Green, Camden and Islington.
Cllr Stopp said: “We had a massive amount of interest from members across the country so even if we can get 1 per cent of Labour members out we’ll be able to make a big difference.”
“Half of it is getting out into the streets to face the issue head on and the other is lobbying the Labour Party to change policy.”
The campaign was launched last year to eradicate homelessness in the country.
Cllr Stopp said he was engaging all Labour councillors in the borough to take the movement forward.
He said: “We only really started to do outreach work in the last few months. We’re looking to set up an outreach base in Kilburn High Road soon and will also take it nationwide.”
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