.gif)
Shelter (charity)
Encyclopedia
Shelter is a registered charity in England
and Scotland
that campaigns to end homelessness
and bad housing. It gives advice, information and advocacy to people in need, and tackles the root causes of bad housing by lobbying government and local authorities for new laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people.
It has offices in England and Scotland, and works in partnership with Shelter Cymru
and the Housing Rights Service in Northern Ireland. It was originally launched on 1 December 1966, evolving out of the work at St Martin-in-the-Fields
.
Shelter helps people in housing need by providing advice and practical assistance, and fights for better investment in housing and for laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people.
Approximately two thirds of Shelter's expenditure goes on housing aid and 1/3 on campaigns and education.
People experiencing homelessness or other housing problems can get practical information and advice from Shelter's website.
Unusually for a charity, in 2008 Shelter saw strike action by its staff in response to changes to their terms and conditions.
Funding:
Voluntary donations 50%
Government grants 29%
Shelter shops 15%
Legal advice contracts 7%
Training courses 3%
Other 4%
Financial information:
Total income year end March 2007: £49,115,000
Total charitable expenditure: £34,271,000
Fundraising cost: £6,089,000
", broadcast in 1966, highlighted the plight of the homeless in Britain. Directed by Ken Loach
and written by Jeremy Sandford
, the reaction led to calls for action. Des Wilson
, having seen the programme, became pivotal in setting up Shelter.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
that campaigns to end homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
and bad housing. It gives advice, information and advocacy to people in need, and tackles the root causes of bad housing by lobbying government and local authorities for new laws and policies to improve the lives of homeless and badly housed people.
It has offices in England and Scotland, and works in partnership with Shelter Cymru
Shelter Cymru
Shelter Cymru is the largest independent housing and homelessness charity in Wales. It works in collaboration with the UK charity Shelter. Shelter Cymru has worked in Wales since 1981, and has been an independent organisation since 1986....
and the Housing Rights Service in Northern Ireland. It was originally launched on 1 December 1966, evolving out of the work at St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
.
Approximately two thirds of Shelter's expenditure goes on housing aid and 1/3 on campaigns and education.
People experiencing homelessness or other housing problems can get practical information and advice from Shelter's website.
Unusually for a charity, in 2008 Shelter saw strike action by its staff in response to changes to their terms and conditions.
Funding:
Voluntary donations 50%
Government grants 29%
Shelter shops 15%
Legal advice contracts 7%
Training courses 3%
Other 4%
Financial information:
Total income year end March 2007: £49,115,000
Total charitable expenditure: £34,271,000
Fundraising cost: £6,089,000
History
The BBC Tuesday Play "Cathy Come HomeCathy Come Home
Cathy Come Home is a 1966 BBC television play by Jeremy Sandford, produced by Tony Garnett and directed by Ken Loach, about homelessness. An industry poll rated it as the best British television drama ever made. Filmed in a gritty, realistic drama documentary style, it was first broadcast on 16...
", broadcast in 1966, highlighted the plight of the homeless in Britain. Directed by Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
and written by Jeremy Sandford
Jeremy Sandford
Jeremy Sandford was an English television screenwriter who came to prominence in 1966 with Cathy Come Home, his controversial entry in BBC1's The Wednesday Play anthology strand which was directed by Ken Loach...
, the reaction led to calls for action. Des Wilson
Des Wilson
Des Wilson is a New Zealand born British campaigner, political activist, businessman, sports administrator, author and Poker player. He was instrumental in the 1960s as a founder of the pivotal British homelessness charity Shelter and was for a while an activist in, and President of, the British...
, having seen the programme, became pivotal in setting up Shelter.