In the spotlight: Student Action Against Homelessness Society

Society members preparing for an outreach session.

One of the most striking features of London’s streets is not the red buses or black cabs that occupy postcards and instagram posts, but the countless tents and sleeping bags that line the busy roads and boulevards. Homelessness is something we’ve talked a lot about this year at Pi, and there is good reason for that: the level of homelessness in London is staggering. Research from the charity Evolve Housing suggests that cases of homelessness have risen by 54% over the past decade, while Shelter estimates that 1 in 58 Londoners were homeless in 2022.

To many, homelessness is just a fact of life. Some people are unlucky: they fall on hard times and that’s that. It’s not their concern that someone is sleeping on the street. They simply walk past. But to many others, London’s level of homelessness is unsettling. 

Instead of feeling helpless or apathetic, a growing number of individuals are taking it upon themselves to take action. Single handedly, they probably won’t solve our city’s systemic issue. But they’re still determined to have a positive impact. I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of these people, Layla Quaedvlieg, a second-year English student, who told me all about her involvement in UCL’s Student Action Against Homelessness Society (SAAHs). As the society’s social media officer, Layla told me all about their goals and objectives, past and future projects, and how new volunteers can get involved.

The society was founded in 2019, and from its humble beginning it has grown from strength to strength. Initially a committee of three and struggling to find members, they are now a committee of eight and have almost doubled their membership. 

SAAHs organises four outreach sessions per team—two either side of reading week—where they distribute food and hot drinks to those living on the streets in-and-around the UCL area. They also partner with a local food poverty charity, Feast With Us, helping to prepare, cook and hand-out hot meals, in addition to organising speaker events and charity bake sales.

The objectives of SAAHs are two-fold: to make a positive difference in the lives of local homeless people whilst simultaneously combating stigmas surrounding homelessness.

Chatting with Layla, she was quick to emphasise the fact that those living on the streets are people too: “they’re not unfriendly, they’re not scary,” they’re just regular people who have fallen on hard times. Upon first moving to London, the city’s large homeless community was a wake-up call for Layla. She said that “people like to forget about it [homelessness] and push it out of their minds. They pretend it's not their problem”. But like the other members of SAAHs, instead of following this norm, Layla felt empowered to act. 

SAAHs has provided Layla with an opportunity to make a positive change—to break down stigmas and barriers, and have a small but meaningful impact upon countless people’s lives.

Getting involved with SAAHs is super easy. By following them on instagram and joining their Whatsapp group, you can stay up to date with all of their latest activities. As a volunteering-based charity, their outreach programmes are completely free to join—all you need is a taster membership. A standard membership is also available for a very modest £3 for all those who want to help fund and support their work.

Alongside their outreach sessions, they have some exciting events taking place in the coming weeks, including:

3rd November, a potluck event and foodbank collection to mark thanksgiving

16th November, a bake sale raising money for homelessness charities

23rd November, a panel speaker event in collaboration with King’s On the Streets homelessness society and the London homelessness charity The Connection at St Martin’s.

Although small, SAAHs is mighty, and there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer with them. The society has big plans for the months ahead and they are always keen to take on new members. So why not reach out to them and tag along for one of their outreach sessions? 

SAAHs members are a true embodiment of the phrase “be the change that you want to see.” They’re taking a small step to tackle a big problem, and offer all of us at UCL a chance to learn and follow in their footsteps.