Established 2005 Registered Charity No. 1110656

Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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The Crisis letter

May 24 2009
Consult your users, please, a reader asks the organisers of the Open Cristmas Dear Editor, I would add to the letter from another reader ('Volunteer crisis', issue 38) that as a rough sleeper, I did not go to the Crisis Open Christmas [now Crisis Christmas or CC] last year. My reasons for not going are based on the frustrating experiences of the previous year. I know that several of my colleagues who had intended going to the 2008 CC changed their minds after waiting in the cold at Temple Place for two hours or more for transport that did not arrive. The few who did manage to get on transport seemed to have no choice of destination, which left some would-be attendees disappointed at not being able to get to a shelter of their choice. As in previous years, St Martin's (CSTM) provided a service, albeit a reduced one, for the street homeless who would have otherwise had no place to go over the festive period. The need to have a shower and launder clothes does not cease at Christmas time. I appreciate that there must be some major logistical problems for CC to overcome each year to provide this Christmas event. But could they not consult their users more about the shortcomings of the otherwise laudable service that they provide? 'Outsider'
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