What to Do When You Pass Someone Sleeping Rough?

My name is Alexander Weilds, and I'm a Sixth Form student at Shrewsbury School. In my hometown, I volunteer regularly at a homeless shelter, which has given me time alongside an outreach service's support workers and the people they help. Back home, I volunteer regularly at a homeless shelter, where I've spent time alongside both support workers and the people they help. Also, I have prepared and delivered an extended project on a subject discussing whether the justice system is adequately protecting those who are sheltered in rough places. These two experiences have altered my perception of something that everyone has an experience with.

You're walking down the high street, you perceive an individual sitting against a shop front with a sleeping bag and a paper cup, and suddenly a question comes to your mind: should I do something? Then: what would even help? 

That slight doubt is not a deficiency in your character but is indicative of your real concern and the desire to avoid mistakes. A couple of key rules that are easy to follow will help you out a lot in that situation, and they will be more valuable than always trying to perform the "perfect” gesture.

Consider them as human beings, and not as an issue to be solved. It's easy to see someone sleeping rough and start triaging: food or money? Blanket or nothing? But the most useful thing you can offer costs nothing - eye contact, a greeting, a genuine "how are you doing today?" People experiencing homelessness often say the “sense of being invisible”, “stepped around” and “spoken about rather than to” is harder to bear than the physical hardship itself. Acknowledging someone as a person first changes the whole interaction.

Attempt not to make assumptions. "Do you need anything at this moment?" There are times when it is just a matter of food. Sometimes a hot drink, a phone charge, or directions to a shelter. Possibly even just someone to talk to. Asking respects that no two people's situations are the same. 

On giving money, there's no single right answer. Giving cash directly and without conditions is a reasonable choice, as it's the person's decision how to use it, and trusting them with that choice is itself a form of respect. Thus, it is also an alternative to offering food, a drink, or a practical item like socks or a bus ticket instead. And if, for some reason, you cannot give anything at that time, a friendly compliment will also work. The important thing is that the decision is made out of real concern, rather than the eagerness to escape.

This is by no means a small or isolated issue. Government figures published this year show an estimated 4,793 people slept rough on a single night in England in autumn 2025 - the highest number since records began, and a rise of 171% since counting started in 2010[1]. Behind that number are individual people, each with a different story of how they got there: relationship breakdown, job loss, mental illness, addiction, family conflict[2]. Someone sleeping outside tonight might need a hot meal today, but the underlying situation is usually more layered - a lack of ID, difficulty accessing benefits, nowhere safe to go[3]. A single meeting in the street is not a solution for this issue and is really not intended to be. However, it can meet an individual’s urgent needs and remind an individual that they have not been forgotten.

For anything beyond that moment, local organisations and outreach services do the longer-term work of helping people towards accommodation, healthcare and a route off the street[4].  By associating yourself with one of these and donating time, money, or goods, it is possible to make a difference that could not have been achieved through a single meeting. If you are concerned about someone who seems visibly unwell or at risk, it's worth contacting your local outreach service so a trained team can follow up. Within England and Wales, StreetLink is the main route for this.

You don't need a perfect plan every time you pass someone sleeping rough. Say hello. Ask what they need if you're able to. Give what you comfortably can. And if you want to make a bigger difference, put some of that goodwill behind an organisation doing the sustained work of helping people find a way off the street - because a single kind moment matters, but a route forward matters more.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2025/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2025 - (Published 26 February 2026)

[2] https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/about-homelessness/causes-of-homelessness/ - (Published N/A)

[3] https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/about-homelessness/ - (Published N/A)

[4] https://www.mungos.org/our-services/outreach/ - (Published N/A)