Tag Era 3

On Tuesday 19th March 2019 the Duke of Cambridge presented the MBE medal to Dennis, one of Groundswell's Case Workers. Dennis joined Groundswell in 2010 as a peer advocate - he was one of the first volunteers to trailblaze the peer advocacy approach to helping homeless people address their health problems.

Groundswell were selected as one of 100 ‘Sparks of Hope’ by the #WalkTogether campaign. The campaign is founded by the Elders, an organisation of independent leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. In 2018 Gro Brundtland, the former Norwegian Prime Minister and one of the Elders,  interviewed Groundswell’s Director of Advocacy Kate and Resources Manager Katie to discuss why Groundswell are a ‘Spark of Hope’  (see video).

In early 2017 the first Groundswell 'feature edition' of the Pavement magazine was published. This was part of the three year 'From the Ground Up' peer journalism project delivered in partnership with the Pavement magazine. Over the three years From the Ground Up trained 20 people with experience of homelessness in journalism, so they could report on the issues that most affect the homeless community.

In partnership with the London Homeless Health Programme (LHHP) we carried out peer-led research ‘More than a Statistic’ (2016), revealing that one of the key barriers people who are homeless face to getting healthcare is registering and making use of a GP practice.

The Room-to-Breathe Action Guide is designed to be a self-help tool to aid homeless people to identify and seek treatment for respiratory health issues. It was designed based on the findings of the in-depth research phase of the Insight and Action Project. The format has an interactive ‘fill-in-the-box’ element and includes a poster that showcases the findings of the research.

In May 2016 Groundswell were named 'overall winner' of the GSK IMPACT Award, a national award run in partnership with The King’s Fund that recognises excellence in charities improving health and well-being in their communities.

This report was produced at the end of a year-long evaluation of Homeless Health Peer Advocacy (HHPA) delivered by the Young Foundation. The evaluation was funded by OAK Foundation and was launched at a parliamentary event in February 2016.

The Andy Ludlow Awards are offered by the London Housing Foundation. Groundswell won this award in 2014 and was the last charity to win the award in this particular guise.

In 2012, the Groundswell Peer Advocates won a ‘Team London’ Mayor’s Award for Volunteering. Some peers used their progression bursary to get ‘suited and booted’ for the prestigious event at City Hall.

This photograph shows Jimmy Carlson receiving his OBE for Services to Homelessness at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales is handing Jimmy’s honour to him. Jimmy’s OBE was announced on 16th June 2012 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and the ceremony was held on the 25th August 2012.