Crisis UK

Crisis UK, founded in 1967 amid rising homelessness highlighted by Ken Loach’s Cathy Come Home, is the national charity dedicated to ending homelessness across Great Britain through a dual approach of direct practical support, policy advocacy, and research. Its core mission asserts that homelessness is not inevitable, emphasizing safe homes for all via evidence-based action targeting structural causes. Operating nine Skylight Centres in England, Scotland, and Wales, Crisis provides person-centred services like education, employment, wellbeing, and bespoke interventions for those with complex needs, alongside iconic “Crisis at Christmas” emergency aid. Distinctively independent, it refuses restrictive statutory funding to maintain rigorous advocacy, centring lived experiences to drive systemic reform.

It funds practical, intensive support to prevent homelessness, rebuild lives, and remove housing barriers, prioritizing single individuals at risk or experiencing rough sleeping, sofa surfing, or unsuitable accommodation, especially those facing poverty, mental health issues, or discrimination. Supported activities include employment and life skills programs, housing access projects, advocacy, peer mentoring, and crisis prevention via the Changing Lives grant programme, blending frontline aid with capacity building for small grassroots efforts.

Eligibility is limited to Crisis members or service users of partners like ACH, Emmaus Oxford, or Invisible Cities—unsolicited applications from others are not accepted—focusing on individuals and resource-limited community groups in England, Scotland, and Wales, with no strict income thresholds but preference for high-need cases. Applications start with phone enquiries to a Coach or Lead Worker, requiring spending breakdowns and quotations; rolling basis with monthly panel reviews, fast-track decisions in 2 weeks, standard in 8 weeks. Grants range from hundreds to several thousand pounds, excluding core costs or unrestricted funding. Crisis stands out for linking hyper-local insights to national policy change, fostering transformative, dignity-focused solutions.