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Councils consider ban on giving food to homeless
25.10.07
Giving food to homeless people on London's streets could become illegal.
A proposal to ban soup runs from designated areas and fine anyone breaking the law is being considered by London Councils, which represents the capital's 33 local authorities.
The organisation has launched a consultation on whether to include the ban in its London Local Authorities Bill.
Organisers of some of London's 25 soup runs say homeless people will suffer.
Alison Gelder, chief executive of the Soup Run Forum, said: "The people who would be worst affected are those who have no recourse to public funds. They are some of the most unpopular groups in society, such as failed asylum seekers or migrant workers who can't get work.
"They are unpopular but that doesn't mean they should be starving."
She added: "Instead of giving money to beggars I usually buy them a sandwich or apple - in the future will I be breaking the law?"
A spokesman for The London Run which provides food for about 70 homeless people in Lincoln's Inn Fields every Tuesday, said: "The London Run has been providing aid to homeless people for over 20 years. We know that many people rely on us and other similar soup runs."
Angela Harvey, Westminster council's cabinet member for housing, said: "Soup runs keep people on the streets. The Bill would address places where there are real issues with people causing a tremendous nuisance."
Reader views (10)
In Western Australia some of Homeless become dependant on others (bladgeres) who call themselves Salvation Army, and so on, as the God is only providers not them. The above would be supported by people who donates food on Streets. I am aware also that they funded by Government and Social Security. But to my believe they beggaring for many thousands of dollars, and give only a little to the needy one who honestly are unemployed or running out of their money. Some of the Homeless are not homeless at all. They rented their homes to others and playing homeless, or buying cars,spending on Alki and drugs, or smoke. Some of the homeless are abused by other drunken homeless and left their homes or been evicted unjustly by Public Housing Authorities who wants to make money or by Council to get more rates. However, the Salvo and other charities become richer and richer and noone would question them how they spend the money was donated. At the end they are the thief and beggars. And those dependant become their source of their employmen and incomes.
- Susan, Fremantle Western Australia
I lived on the streets of London for too many years..I am fed up with hearing that Westminster counci is thinking of banning all types of food handouts. Why??
Doing this will cause shoplifting figures to go through the roof...Have they not thought this through... Ok there is places to go to get food,but, that is during the day, at night it gets harder to get food...What do they expect? People to go down bins,to eat like vermin and pick up scraps off the floor.. These councillers don't have to worry where there net meal is to come from, they can easily pay in the region of £50-100 for a meal where a man on the street has to ive on that for 2 weeks..So come on guys go easy on them..They need somewhere to go & get food..Why can't they just get everyone together & work out how they can all work together to sot out this problem...At the end of the day I am one of the lucky ones as I'm now in a hostel & these guys/girls have to suffer because of all the big-cats in city hall that just don't care.
- Ben Quinn, London
Hi,
Dose anyone know, are there shelters in london, where you can donate food?
many of us buy too much food in western countries from supermarkets and instead
of wasting this food, why not give it to the poor.
Plus that means a proper place like a shelter can provide good food,
if there were neighborhood officers to direct those on the streets to such places,
then there probably wouldn't be anyone living on the streets.
- Sultaan, London
It is so sad that these MP's think so small!!! they don't know anything about these people who are on the streets. Nothing about there past. These people have lost there families including there children!
i ask You lot MP's what is that homeless was your brother, father., or maybe son. is these the way who would think.
- Chantelle Ferreira, LONDON
How wonderful that our city is expending valuable time and resources targeting the 'nuisance' posed by gestures of kindness towards its most downtrodden inhabitants.
How wonderful that our city has such bright politicians who believe that a cup of soup is an invitation to a life of luxury on the streets.
How wonderful that our city is considering a ban on compassion and positive human interaction on our streets.
Makes you proud to be a Londoner.
- Lidija Mavra, London, UK
People who are homeless need our help. They are our brothers and sister who are suffering. We really must not stop feeding them but we must increase our supply , increase our volunteers.
I myself haven't done enough and I beg everyone to ask themself if they are doing enough. If not, then lets do something about it now!
Please don't stop feeding these people. Remember anyone of us could become homeless whether through famine, war , natural disaster or our own mistakes. How would you feel if you were cold,wet, hungry, thirsty, in pain and someone brings you a cup of soup.
Lets not stop the food supply and hope our homeless society go away. Lets remember our family do what little we can to relieve their suffering, even if it hardly makes a difference.
Think love and lets forget our greed.
Not everything has to be about profit and not everything has to benefit ourselves.
Please keep feeding our people!!!!
- Mike Williams, Merstham
How the noose tightens on "unsatisfactory" behaviour, can Councillor Harvey really justify such a draconian, inhuman act as not giving food to someone who is hungry.
The difference between those that grab all in this greedy world and those that have nothing is enormous, caring for ones fellow human beings obviously doesn't start on her doorstep!
- Thelma Wilcox, Bath
Is Councillor Harvey seriously expecting us to believe that a homeless person would be encouraged to stay on the streets for the sake of a cup of soup? She is either in serious denial or she is spinning an argument she knows would be unpalatable to any decent human. None of us want homeless people on the streets, not because they are dirty or threatening but because they are a symbol of a society in moral decline. Westminster Council exemplifies this decline in this disgraceful bill. In truth, this is no more than shameful NIMBYism and shocking from one of the wealthiest councils in Britain.
- Neville Farmer, London, UK
This is a counterproductive proposal which London Councils ought to drop from the Local Authorities Bill. The London Soup Run Forum is the right place for a constructive dialogue about services working together to support homeless and socially excluded people.
- Alastair Murray, London
This is going to cause many problems for those outside the system, Westminster Council for example has been trying to do this for years. It will create an underclass more deprived than the one already there and will mean poverty will increase so not what the Government should be considering really is it?
- Gary Martin, London, UK
