Twelve months since being established, Fighting Homelessness is using new ways to combat the increasing demand for help
A Cardiff homelessness project is celebrating its first anniversary, as well as using new methods to tackle the current cost of living crisis.
November marks a year since Fighting Homelessness was set up, after receiving National Lottery funding.
The project uses combat sports, including boxing, to overcome the challenges faced by those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with specially designed 10-week programmes.
Founder and CEO Robert Green sees the fighting aspect as a metaphor.
“When you’re getting hit hard, that’s like life hitting you hard and trying to push you back,” he said.
This August, The Salvation Army reported that in 2021 there was a 6% rise in homeless households in Wales compared to 2020.
Fighting Homelessness is using new ways to tackle this rise, including sponsoring two youth football teams to provide more support to grassroots sport – a barrier which Green suggests can be a cause of homelessness.
He said, “If they’re not involved in these kinds of things at an earlier age, there’s no sense of achievement, or sense of belonging.”
The current cost of living crisis brings further problems too. The Bevan Foundation’s Snapshot of Poverty this summer reported that 11% of Welsh people are worried about the prospect of losing their home over the next few months.
Green argues that these figures are a cause for concern, leading not only to a rise in homelessness but crime rates, as prisons are desirable for those desperately struggling with gas and electric bills.
There are exciting developments in the works for the project, including an interclub competition between the Cardiff and Swansea groups, and new programmes in locations around Wales.
Green is proud of what Fighting Homelessness has achieved so far, but firmly believes that they are just getting started.
“My response is that we need to do more. As the crisis gets bigger, I want to be able to meet the demand.”