Making Winter Warmer

Making Winter Warmer helps support those who are homeless and sleeping on the streets this winter in Newcastle and Gateshead.

The project was set up in 2013 by Kerry Lister-Pattinson and her friend Jo-Anne Burns. Vimeo clip

If you would like to help, or for more information, email Kerry at makingwinterwarmer@gmail.com

Rucksacks of help
The pack rucksacks full of donated items and give them out to those who need them:

Kerry Lister-Pattinson with some of the donations
(c) The Journal

“They’re not necessarily for homeless people, although the majority of people we help do fall in to that category,” says Kerry. “If people need help they need help. We’ll not turn somebody away just because they’re not homeless.”

Kerry, 29, said: “We make up around 15 to 20 rucksacks on a Thursday, plus dozens of orders we receive when we are out the Saturday before. But the main thing for us is to be there for them and just be people. 

“I don’t want to say: ‘There you go, there’s your rucksack. Bye’. A lot of the people we help just want somebody to talk to them and acknowledge them. They feel embarrassed taking things, but value it more if you actually speak to them like human beings.”

The team are looking for:

Rucksack/Holdall/Small Suitcase  ~ Sleeping Bag 

Fleece  ~ Jacket  ~ Coat  ~ T-shirts  ~ Underwear  ~ Jumper  ~ Trousers

Hat  ~ Gloves  ~ Socks

Flask

Tins of soup (ring pull)  ~ Snacks (non-perishable)

Baby wipes  ~ Tissues  ~ Toothbrush & paste  ~ Deodorant  ~ Comb/brush

Spoon  ~ Bottled water  ~ Hand warmers

Understanding the problems
The work has also led the organisers to challenge some of the myths about homelessness and to question the approach of Newcastle City Council.

By no means all those homeless and on the streets are criminals. And the practice of repeatedly moving people on, or banning people from the City centre for a period, simply move people around and do nothing to address the underlying problems.

Kerry Lister-Pattinson (left) and Maria Wright
(c) the Journal