From the White House with Leighton’s mayor Amanda Dodwell
I hope you will agree that Leighton-Linslade is a nice place to live; I think it would be reasonable to describe it as a middle-England market town. We sit on the edge of the Chiltern Hills and have access to beautiful countryside. We enjoy high levels of employment, good schools and excellent transport links.
Given all of this, it is possibly surprising to learn that we have a homelessness problem. Whilst we may not see people living in shop doorways, there are families who are living in temporary accommodation and have nowhere to call home; some are sleeping on the floor in St Barnabas Church Hall. More shockingly, there are people who do not have money to buy food – not even the basics that most of us take for granted.vIt is important that we don’t jump to conclusions about how families find themselves in this situation. These are often ordinary people who through no fault of their own – illness, unemployment or simple bad luck – have found themselves without a roof over their head and not knowing where the next meal is coming from.
In these austere times, many are having benefits reduced and salaries are being frozen. And when an application for support is made it can take up to eight weeks before money is received – that is two months without any income. In this short space of time it is far too easy to fall behind on rent, rack up debt and get caught in a spiral of poverty.
One of the charities I am supporting in my year as Mayor is Leighton-Linslade Homeless Service. They help to find accommodation for the homeless, and run a food-bank for those who cannot afford to put a meal on the table. It is thanks to the generosity of the people of Leighton-Linslade that they are able to respond to calls for help, but unfortunately the demands on Leighton-Linslade Homeless Service are increasing. It is for this reason that I would ask all of you to support this charity; Find out how you can help by emailing llhservice@btinternet.com
On Sunday, July 21 I am organising a charity lunch at the Duncombe Drive Day Centre in support of all of my charities. If you would like to come along, tickets are available from the White House, call 01525 631920.