Simon's Sofa Series

In this episode of Simon’s Sofa, Natalie Clarke (CEO of Simon on the Streets) is joined by Becca, a caseworker at the national LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity, akt.

We cover:

Redefining ‘sofa surfing’: it’s not the comfortable situation it’s painted to be.

How homelessness impacts young people in marginalised communities: particularly for young trans people and people of faith.

How early outreach and intervention in schools and colleges could reduce NEET homelessness: more and more young people are falling out of education, making them more vulnerable to experiencing homelessness.

The Big Give and akt volunteering opportunities: what does the future hold for akt, and how you can get involved.

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes. Simon on the Streets is bringing you honest, informed discussions about the challenges surrounding homelessness, straight from the people who have lived it and are working to change it.

🔗 Connect with Becca.

🔗 Connect with Natalie

In this episode of Simon’s Sofa, Natalie Clarke (CEO of Simon on the Streets) is joined by David Gill from Risk and Resilience Training and Consultancy to explore homelessness, addiction, and changing frontline care.

We cover:

Systemic service cuts: Why services are forced into reactive crisis management rather than proactive community engagement

The new drug landscape: How drug trends have shifted from traditional substances to a catalogue of manufactured options, particularly ketamine

Substance use and neurodiversity: How individuals with ADHD or autism are using substances to manage unsympathetic environments and how frontline care needs to adapt to this

Staff burnout and compassion fatigue: The emotional toll on frontline workers and how managers can spot early warning signs

Reframing 'soft outcomes': Moving away from rigid tick-box KPIs and putting more value on core outcomes

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes. Simon on the Streets is bringing you honest, informed discussions about the challenges surrounding homelessness, straight from the people who have lived it and are working to change it.

🔗 Connect with David.

🔗 Connect with Natalie.

It's episode 2 of Simon's Sofa Series. Simon on the Streets CEO Natalie sits down with Gemma Edwards, founder and director of So Contented to talk about the role of marketing and copywriting when trying to grow brand awareness for Simon on the Streets.

We talk about:

• How Simon on the Streets learned about the power of marketing
• How businesses can be part of making a difference
• How to put boundaries in place that balance marketing and protecting the people we work with

Simon on the Streets is bringing you honest, informed discussions about the challenges surrounding homelessness, straight from the people who have lived it and are working to change it.

Learn more about So Contented: https://www.socontented.com/

Learn more about Simon on the Streets: www.https://www.simononthestreets.co.uk

Get in touch: [email protected]

In this first episode of Simon's Sofa Series, Simon on the Streets CEO Natalie sits down with Chris Sylvester, founder of Getting Clean CIC, to talk about the important link between lived experience recovery, homelessness, and addiction.

Chris shares the story behind Getting Clean CIC, supporting people rebuilding their lives, and what real, lasting recovery actually looks like beyond just "getting clean."

We talk about:

• The relationship between addiction and homelessness
• What's the missing piece in recovery?
• The role of community and peer support in recovery
• What meaningful change could look like for people who've experienced homelessness and addiction

Simon on the Streets is bringing you honest, informed discussions about the challenges surrounding homelessness, straight from the people who have lived it and are working to change it.

Learn more about Getting Clean CIC: https://www.gettingclean.co.uk/

Learn more about Simon on the Streets: www.https://www.simononthestreets.co.uk

Get in touch: [email protected]