London Homeless Welfare Team

About us

Grassroots care, meals and mental health support for London's rough sleepers since 2020.

A small volunteer team. Zero profit. Every penny helps.

• Run by a small team of volunteers, led by a founder with lived experience of homelessness

• Registered Community Interest Company (CIC no. 16004064)

• Zero profit: every donation goes straight into food, essentials and support for people on the streets

No one should face the streets alone. Born in 2020 from a group of volunteers frustrated by the gaps in statutory care, we began with hot meals and essential supplies across Central and East London. Today, we are a structured, community-led organisation responding to the full spectrum of need.

Founded by Jorawar Singh Rathour, a survivor of homelessness himself, LHWT combines lived experience with professional expertise. A Senior Member of ACCPH and a Professional Associate Member of the Institute of Counselling (Scotland), Jorawar is also trained in Mental Health First Aid and ASIST suicide intervention, and draws on his background in mental health support, addiction counselling and trauma-informed care.

London Homeless Welfare Team CIC · Company number 16004064 · Crouch End, North London

Trained, qualified and accountable

Our work is led by professionally trained people. Our memberships and training include:

• ACCPH: Senior Member (Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists)

• Institute of Counselling (Scotland): Professional Associate Member

• Mental Health First Aid: trained Mental Health First Aiders on our outreach team

• ASIST: trained in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills

• Naloxone: trained responders who can reverse an opioid overdose

Our story

• 1 January 2020: our first outreach near Finsbury Park tube station, handing out food and essentials

• March 2020: COVID-19 defence packs for rough sleepers, sent across the UK

• 2021: named on The Big Issue’s Changemakers list

• 2022: winner at the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards

• Today: regular food distribution and outreach walks across London, using surplus food from M&S, Sainsbury’s and Neighbourly

Donate to change lives

The crisis: why urgent action matters

Thousands of people are sleeping rough on London's streets every night. Homelessness creates profound challenges for physical health, mental wellbeing and personal safety. Without consistent support, people are left struggling to access even the most basic care.

Statutory services, though vital, are often stretched beyond capacity and unable to reach those who need help most. LHWT bridges that gap with direct, consistent and compassionate support, built on trust and human connection.

How we help

Street outreach

Regular walking routes delivering hygiene products, clothing and hot meals directly to rough sleeping hotspots across London.

Mobile food relief

200+ fresh meals every week for 100+ people, alongside local shelters and vulnerable families in need, in partnership with Neighbourly, Sainsbury's and M&S.

Mental Health First Aid

MHFA-trained volunteers offering compassionate, trauma-informed support and suicide prevention guidance.

Overdose prevention and harm reduction

Naloxone-trained responders equipped to intervene in overdose emergencies, providing life-saving support and connecting people with addiction recovery services.

Pathways to stability

Connecting individuals with addiction recovery programmes, mental health services and housing pathways, guiding people towards lasting stability and independence.

Elderly and mobility outreach

Dedicated home visits providing personalised care and support to isolated seniors and those with mobility challenges.

Life-saving training

Equipping our community and volunteers with certifications in ASIST (suicide intervention), Naloxone administration (overdose reversal), mental health support, first aid, addiction support and missing persons response.

Where your money goes

• £10 provides an essential items care bag

• £25 funds 5 hot meals for rough sleepers

• £50 supports one week of outreach supplies

• £100 enables professional mental health training for volunteers

Every donation, every volunteer hour and every shared meal brings us closer to a London where no one is left behind.Donate to change lives

Get involved

Volunteer

• Join our outreach team

• Training provided

• Work alongside people with lived experience

Email us to volunteer

Donate items

• Toiletries, clothing and first-aid items

• Harm-reduction materials (naloxone, sterile supplies)

• Every donation reaches someone in crisis today

Partner and fund

• Charities, businesses and community groups welcome

• Financial contributions enable consistent, reliable services

• Corporate partnerships amplify our impact

Email us about partnering

Innovation in crisis: COVID defence packs

At the very onset of the pandemic, the London Homeless Welfare Team became one of the first organisations to design and distribute dedicated COVID-19 defence packs. Launched on 4 March 2020, weeks before the UK's first national lockdown, the initiative addressed the needs of an overlooked and highly vulnerable population who lacked access to basic hygiene products and public health information.

Founder Jorawar Singh Rathour, drawing on his own lived experience of homelessness, designed each pack with essentials including hand sanitiser, face masks, pocket tissues, bottled water and NHS advisory leaflets. What began as a rapid, local response in North London quickly scaled nationwide and attracted international media coverage.

Media coverage

• Evening Standard (14 March 2020)

• Big Issue (26 March 2020)

• Islington Gazette (20 July 2021)

• Big Issue (8 October 2021)

• Care Management Matters (2022)

Recognition and leadership

• Invited to Buckingham Palace, May 2025

• Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards: Sector Development and Make a Difference Awards

• Senior Member, ACCPH

• Professional Associate Member, Institute of Counselling (Scotland)

• Local Hero Award 2025: nominated for outstanding community care and friendship

• Named on The Big Issue’s Changemakers list, 2021

Our partners

Sainsbury's, M&S and Neighbourly: surplus food redistribution and supply-chain support that keeps our meals and essentials reaching people across London.

We have also been supported by grants from Southern Co-op, Capital Arches Group and the Arnold Clark Community Fund. Thank you to everyone who gives their time, food and money.

Contact us

Email: lhwteamuk@gmail.com

Based in Crouch End, North London

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