Street Support Chelmsford

In the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, a lot of people within the Chelmsford community are experiencing hardships this winter, but there is help out there! Introducing Street Support Chelmsford, a directory of help services aimed at vulnerable people and people experiencing homelessness, designed to connect people in need with assistance in the Chelmsford area.

The website is designed for volunteers and carers as much as it is for those facing hardship. It is intended as a tool for all those involved in assisting those who are vulnerable and those experiencing homelessness. But it can also be a tool for the everyday person who is having to choose between putting food on the table or paying the energy bill.

It is also a place where you can give help, for example volunteer to help or donate items or money, and to find some really useful advice. Some of the help that is available on Street Support Chelmsford is listed below:

Food Rota: This document is printable and on the home page and details all of the places where homeless and vulnerable people can get food throughout the week in Chelmsford (this includes food banks and community pantries, locations and how to use them).

Cost-of-Living: This is listed on the home page, click the ‘Get Help Now’ button. This advice has website links to information and help ranging from free legal advice, to help with benefits, debt advice and help, where to get help paying energy bills and more.

Street Support Network is a UK-wide online directory of support services for people in need. Be it a safe shelter, an open food bank, a warm place to sit for the day because you can’t afford to put the heating on, or alcohol/substance abuse help. Street Support Network is a ‘one-stop-shop’ that lists all of these services in one place. Cool to be Kind, a Chelmsford based community group supporting rough sleepers, took on the challenge of developing the Chelmsford branch to the Street Support Network and was launched on 28th April 2022. Since then, Cool to be Kind have been working hard to raise awareness and increase the usability of the site.

Warm Spaces: This document is printable and on the home page, click the ‘get help now’ button. This details all warm spaces that are available for the homeless, the vulnerable, or people struggling with the rising costs of living this winter. Warm spaces are places where people can gather for free in a warm, safe and welcoming place.

For more information, please visit the website at, www.streetsupport. net/chelmsford.