Helping the homeless on town’s streets

STUDENTS from the Warrington campus of the University of Chester have been helping homeless people on the town’s streets.
They have been handing out winter survival kits to those in need.
Student nurses and some of their family members spent an evening handing out  bags containing items such as hats, gloves, scarves, socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lip balm, baby wipes, tissues, bottles of water, multivitamins, packets of crisps, breakfast bars, chocolate bars, rain ponchos, foil blankets, feminine hygiene products, and information packs on access to free hot meals and support available.
They also gave out dog food and dog treats to people sleeping rough who had canine companions and to people at the YMCA in Warrington.
The idea came from 19-year-old adult nursing student Rachael Lambe, who, during a Christmas night out with colleagues, was shocked to see the amount of people sleeping rough and begging for change on the streets of Warrington.
She said: “I found it really upsetting to see so many people sleeping out in those cold conditions. When I looked into it, I realised that there wasn’t as much support for the homeless community in towns such as Warrington, compared to larger cities like Liverpool or Manchester. The people that we saw were at a significant disadvantage based entirely on location.
“I decided to message my colleagues to see if anyone would be interested in helping to make a difference to the lives of Warrington’s homeless community.”
Rachael and her team of adult nursing students – Ellen Soutter, Faith-Rose Partridge, Mark McArdle, Leanne Watson and her son, Logan, and Rachael’s  partner, Ian Williamson – liaised with Warrington police and completed the necessary risk assessments, before walking the streets of Warrington and handing out survival bags to those that they came across.
Jan Gidman, associate dean (Business and Enterprise) in the Faculty of Health and Social Care, saidd: “Rachael, her friends and fellow nursing students have demonstrated their care and compassion for others in need. It’s easy to see the need for this but they made a difference by taking practical action. This makes them special people, and the Faculty is proud to be associated with them.”