Aaliyah Rose: Saturday nights outreach walk.

I have just returned from tonight's outreach walk, while its all fresh in my mind I want to blog about it. Everyone wonders what goes on when we do a walk, so here it is, I hope it sheds some light for you.

Tonight lovely Asta joined me all the way from Portsmouth with 60 freshly made sandwiches with all sorts of yummy fillings. My mum had made 30 hot meals of spaghetti and fresh sauce, made from scratch as well as around 20 more sandwiches, bottles of water, jaffa cakes and crisps. The bags were pretty damn heavy to start with !

I had previously asked a few rough sleepers to spread the word and ask a few people to meet us in the square for the start of the walk. We parked the car and called one of the guys to run up to the car park and help us carry it all, the bags were just way too heavy. Three of the lovely guys ran along and carried everything for us. Waiting in the square there was around 15 rough sleepers. 10 of them I knew, 5 of them I had never seen before.

There was a new young couple, both under 25. They had been told about me coming down with hot food and were eager to meet me. Despite being to the soup kitchen they and all the others were still really hungry. They told me they were new to Bournemouth and told me where they were sleeping. They explained they had a mattress but no blankets or sleeping bags. Can you imagine that ? It was 3 degrees out. I had 2 sleeping bags on me and some blankets that they took. They were over the moon and so excited that they would be warm tonight. They explained how they had come from Oxford to Bournemouth to find the guys father but he had moved house, all they know is his full name. They are trying to find his father and hoping in the long run they can be put up by him and use him as there local connection. But at the moment they have had no joy. They explained that in Oxford there was no help for the homeless so its been great coming to Bournemouth, going to the soup kitchens and having me go out at night after the soup kitchens giving more food.

There were two elderly people waiting for food who I had never seen before but I had recently been told about. They were pleased to receive a second hot meal and plenty of sandwiches to get them through the night. I sat with the lady and she talked me through her situation. I was shocked to see her in the first place, but the more she talked the more shocked, and quite frankly, angry I became. She is 74 and her husband is 85. They have been going to the same post office for 17 years collecting their pension. I didn't quite understand the full reason as to why they lost their home recently, but she explained, because they are not alcoholics or drug addicts, they are not seen as 'vulnerable' and 'in need'. Surely the fact they are ELDERLY they should be right at the top of the list for emergency housing ? It broke my heart to see such an elderly frail couple living on the streets. The man used a walking stick and was very much in need. The lady explained how they have always worked, always paid there way and have never been on benefits. Unfortunately if life had been the other way round for her, if she had been on benefits, she would have been housed. The world is a real messed up place, how anyone in authority can leave the elderly sweet couple on the streets I don't know. I wish I could take them home.

Another couple were a couple I see often and who I really like. I like everyone of course, but some people you feel for more. This couple have been together since they were 14 years old and are in there 50's they are madly in love with each other and are happy together, they just need to get off the streets. They lost their home in another town due to bankruptcy, they came to Bournemouth to be close to their daughter but sadly can not live with their daughter because she is at risk of losing her home if she stays with them. Again, they are not seen as vulnerable or at risk, and because they are not addicts, they are not put onto the waiting list for wet houses or night shelters. They can not use their daughter as their local connection because the local connection must be a parent. At the moment I don't see any way out for them, but they are trying really hard to save every penny and get a deposit on a flat to rent, then they can get jobs.

We handed out hot meals, sandwiches and crisps to everyone in the square before starting our walk. Josie was in town, so she joined our walk. The first man we saw was new to the streets, he had been in the YMCA, so I had never met him before. He accepted food, and we had a little chat. He explained how he was due to start a job last week, but he then lost his accommodation so its back to square one right now. He was excited to start his new job so hes hoping he can turn things around real quickly and find his feet again.

Along the road we saw a couple we see often. Unfortunately the lady has been having a bad time recently and was quite upset. I gave her a hot meal and packed her bag up with sandwiches and water and we chatted about what was wrong while she cried in the street. Unfortunately many passers by, clubbers, just stopped and looked at her like she was an alien which upset her more. We just ignored them, I would love to tell them to do one, but I cant. We chatted for a while about how we can help improve her life, get her on the right track again then we just chatted about regular girly things to lighten the mood. We moved on and left her and I said we would check back on her later.

We carried on on the walk and met a couple we had never seen before. A young girl and her partner. We all sat on some steps and chatted, we handed them warm food which they were so happy for because they were starving. The young girl was younger than me and she really wanted to chat. She wanted to know why I was doing this and what I thought of people like her. She was a working girl and her and her partner were heroin addicts. I told her honestly it did not bother me, Im here to help, im here to chat and im here to be a friend. Im not going to judge someones situation. She went on to tell me she had been on heroin a long time, even all through her pregnancy. She did not know she was pregnant untill she went into labor. Thankfully her baby was healthy and still is healthy and happy and being looked after by a family member. The lady pulled out some photos of her child, such a beautiful child, the little one really looked like its mother. The girl went on to explain that the child's father was in prison. I didn't ask why, but she went on to explain why. When the child was 3 months old the father sexually abused it for months, unknown to the mother. She blames herself, because she was on heroin, so was he, and she regrets ever letting him near the child. He is in prison for a long time, thankfully. Her partner was polish and was very funny, he chatted about the things he found funny in England and how much he loved England.

We carried on our walk and saw more regulars. Some had new friends with them so I introduced myself and told them who I was and what I was doing. They all happily accepted hot food and sandwiches and had little chats. Some just want to be alone, have their food, say thank you and get on with their night, some are more chatty than others.

Further up the road we came across the man who had been stabbed recently. I asked him how he was doing and he said he was fine, he was much closer to being housed so he was feeling really positive and looking forward to that. He said his wounds were all good now after being stabbed, he was all stitched up well and recovering. He and his friend who I have met a few times but dont know too well both took hot meals and sandwiches then we left them to it.

Other the road was a man I see a lot. He took hot food and packed his bag up with a few sandwiches. He was pretty happy and was looking forward to Monday as he was going to spend some time with his family. We chatted for a long time about recent events in his life and about how my new job was going and how life was with me then left him to his night.

Just round the corner was the girl who had had her tent burnt down the week before. She took two hot meals because she was starving and had some sandwiches for later. She asked me how my new job was going and she told me how she had sponsored Josie 10 pounds for her skydive. She was really excited for Josie to be doing the jump and asked if she could come with us and watch. She went on to explain how next week her and her partner must go to another town for a week long trial. Back in December her partner was stabbed 15 times across his face, neck, head and back and they were now being called for trial, they have a dog so she asked me if I could organize for someone to look after her dog, which I will sort out. They were pleased the trial had finally come round.

Further up the road was another lady we see often. She was waiting for us and waved excitedly, saying she had been waiting all night for us because she was starving.She said we were running late ! She asked whats for dinner and when I told her it was home made spaghetti bolognaise her face lit up. We sat down and chatted for a while, she was fine, she still needed her hair sorted out, but she was pretty happy, even happier now we had given her hot food.

We headed back down to the square and on the way we handed out more sandwiches and more hot meals, along with lemonade. We had a few brief chats with people but as it was getting late they just wanted to eat and get comfortable for the night.

In the square the couple who had been together for since they were 14 were still there, we had left Josie's bags there for them to look after. We stayed with them for a good 45 minutes and just chatted and had a laugh. It was really nice to just sit and chat about normal things. After all, just because you are homeless, you are no less of a human being. You deserve the right to have a good conversation and a chat, talk about the news and other regular things.We left them with more blankets and let them go to their pitch to sleep and walked to the car.

On the way to the car we saw one of our regular guys. I sat with him for a while. I knew he was in a bad place. Sadly he had tried to commit suicide on Friday night. We sat and chatted on the floor about how he was doing, after a few minutes he could not talk. He just sat and cried. He is an older man and hes usually in good spirits, it was hard to see him so broken, so sad, so suicidal and crying his eyes out. He has told me he wants to leave town for good and go elsewhere. I persuaded him it wasn't such a good idea because there are people here looking out for him. Eventually I had to leave him, but told him to call me if he needed me and I told him to keep safe. I do hope he will be okay.

So that's what goes on when we do an outreach walk. Apart from Josie, I haven't used any names. I use Josies name because I talk about Josie all the time and I even post photos of her on Facebook which she is more than happy with. Her and her partner follow my Facebook page and love reading the updates.

Another thing about Josie, I mentioned above josie is going to do a sponsored sky dive in july. All money is going towards the big issue and all the vendors. If you would like to sponser josie, that would be lovely.