The homeless charity that's 'worried' about the heatwave - but 'scared' about the winter

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

One of Manchester’s most established homeless charities says it is ‘worried’ about how rough sleepers will cope with this week’s heatwave — but ‘scared’ about this year’s winter.

Yvonne Hope, CEO of charity Barnabus , has revealed to the Manchester Evening News how concerned she is about this summer’s extended hot and dry weather. She has also admitted she is ‘scared’ of the winter to come with the spiralling cost-of-living already seeing a surge of referrals to her staff.

Hope says the charity is seeing more and more people seek help because they’re in ‘arrears with rent and fuel’, and fears the new energy price cap from October — estimated to be more than £3,500 per year — will drive more to the doors of the Bloom Street organisation.

READ MORE: Residents SWELTERING in apartment block "need air" during heatwave as they can't open balcony doors due to cladding work

“We worry about dehydration and heat stroke in the summer. Heat strokes are just as deadly as hypothermia. A lot of people might not know they have heat stroke, especially if they are addicts. They might not realise,” she said.

“It is difficult because you want them to be safe. I want people off the streets but for whatever reason, they were there in 38 degrees. There will be similar problems this week. It is just as deadly.

“When we go home we can cool down with a cool shower. If you have no respite what happens to your thinking process in the heat? Do you give up and suffer or do you find some shade? The longer you are in the heat the less able you are to make good decisions.”

Hope, who has led the charity since 2016, has also admitted that she is ‘scared’ of the upcoming winter. That’s because the service has, in the three months since April’s energy