James Mellors has been volunteering in homeless projects since 2010. It started almost by accident, alongside his Masters in Anthropology in Durham, when he spent his research time among the homeless and rough-sleeping communities of the north-east. 

“I conducted ethnographic research within the homeless community/communities of the north-east, using auto-photography as a tool,” James says. “This meant spending a great deal of time with the homeless/rough sleeping community on the streets.” At the same time he began volunteering with Foodcycle, cooking meals from surplus supermarket produce and creating a safe space for rough sleepers. “I have volunteered with homeless charities and emergency shelters since, when moving from place to place,” including as a trustee of a homeless charity in the south-east, and working in drug rehabilitation in Switzerland. 

Now with The Camrose Centre and the Night Light Emergency Winter Night Shelter, his day to day is varied. “Cooking, liaising, listening, looking for pathways into help,” he says are key roles. 

Why the gap needs filling 

“In an ideal world charities would not exist, and not be needed”, James says. “The needs of people would be met by councils and governments. However, this is not the case, and it is quite difficult for people to traverse the increasingly difficult task of accessing housing, physical health, mental health and drug dependence needs. Charities, with volunteers and support workers from a myriad of backgrounds, can help people on the path to support.” 

He’s seen from the inside how much that depends on volunteers. “As a previous trustee of a homeless charity, I can say volunteers are vital for the charities to open and run”, he says.  

“Charities, even with donations, are often run hand-to-mouth, and volunteers are vital for these charities to open.” 

Some shifts are harder to cover than others. Drawing on his time with the night shelter, James points to the overnight hours. “Timewise, night-time shifts, the 10pm to 6am shifts, are the most difficult to cover. In general, charities find it harder over the summer holidays, with families away. But people need support all year round.”  

Who can volunteer  

“All people from all backgrounds can offer a multitude of skills to volunteer”, James says. “People build rapport and trust with different people in different ways. And people can engage with different people from their own background and experiences and socialisation.” 

What it’s given him 

The years of volunteering have changed something in him, James says: “Faith in people, volunteers, service users, support workers and communities in general.” 

He’s wary of tidy ‘success stories’. “The road to being housed, helping physical and mental health, and helping people reduce substance dependence is not a linear journey”, he says. “Homelessness is complex and seeing success and positivity in the smallest forms is actually taking the biggest step.” 

What’s stayed with him most is the camaraderie. “Seeing the connections people and groups have, and how people from disparate backgrounds and faiths come together to help people” he says, has given him something he didn’t expect: “Community and kinship”. 

His advice to anyone thinking about volunteering  

“The first step is always the biggest, to step into the unknown and out of your comfort zone. Take a big leap, you won’t regret it. 

“We are all human beings in a global village,” he says. “Unexpected events can happen at any time, that none of us have control over, that could lead to the streets. Empathise and engage, don’t just walk by.” 

He quotes the anthropologist Kath Weston: “Hope is sometimes a person’s only tangible asset.”  

“Help give people that hope and belief,” James says.