Support rough sleepers this winter
As temperatures drop and winter sets in, the nights become a dangerous time for people sleeping rough. At Framework Housing Association, we believe everyone deserves a safe, warm place to sleep, and we know our supporters do too.
Why winter support matters
- Cold weather significantly increases health risks for people sleeping rough, with complications such as hypothermia, worsened respiratory illness and frostbite.
- Even nights that don’t drop below freezing can be dangerous: the “feels like” temperature, damp, wind chill and prolonged exposure all contribute to risk.
- That’s why emergency winter provision, including temporary shelter, can be life-saving.
What you can do to help
Here are practical, compassionate ways individuals and community members can support rough sleepers during the cold months:
- Offer warmth: clothes, blankets or sleeping bags. Donating warm coats, hats, scarves, gloves or thermal socks helps people stay as warm as possible when shelter isn’t immediately available. Also, spare blankets or sleeping bags can be a lifeline.
- Provide hot drinks or food. A warm drink, hot meal or even a flask of tea can offer immediate relief and a bit of human kindness at a difficult time.
- Help people access shelter or assistance. If you meet someone sleeping rough and it’s cold, alert them to shelter options. Emmanuel House Support Centre on run a Day Centre, and a Winter Shelter between October and April every year. They can be contacted on 0115 9507140.
- Refer people to emergency services if needed. If you believe that someone’s health or safety is at immediate risk, don’t hesitate, call 999.
- Alert our outreach services. If you’re worried about someone sleeping rough, you can call our rough sleeper 24-hour hotline on 0800 066 5356 or text ‘SOT’ followed by your message to 80800.
What Framework is doing this winter
Our outreach teams are on the streets early in the morning and late into the evening throughout the winter months. They carry essential supplies and work to ensure that people know about available shelters, winter provisions and emergency accommodation. Cold weather means more people need help, and our teams respond to many calls from the public. These calls help us reach people who might otherwise remain unseen.
We also work closely with local authorities and partner organisations to coordinate winter support, increase available shelter and adapt our response as conditions change. Winter creates real pressure on services, but with the support of our community we can reach far more people.
Our rough sleeper hotline is a vital part of this work and offers an immediate line between those who need support and those who can give it. You can donate to support this service here:
Full contact details for our rough sleeper hotlines in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Sheffield can be found here.
Working together to protect people in the cold
Homelessness has many causes and requires long-term solutions, but small acts of care can change lives in the moment. Winter is a time when those actions matter most. By staying aware, offering kindness, donating warm items and passing information to our outreach teams, you help create a safer and more compassionate community.
Framework remains committed to ensuring that nobody has to face the cold alone. With your help, we can continue to support people who are sleeping rough and offer them a route to warmth, safety and stability.