Crisis (charity)
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| Crisis (charity) | |
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| Name | Crisis |
| Type | Charity |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | John Junkin, Jack Jones |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Services | Homelessness support, education, housing advice, employment services |
Crisis (charity) is a UK-based charity established to address homelessness and support people experiencing or at risk of rooflessness. Founded in the late 1960s, it grew through partnerships with unions, churches, and civic institutions to deliver direct services, research, and advocacy. Crisis operates nationally from urban centres and during winter months through seasonal campaigns, engaging with public figures, local authorities, and philanthropic bodies.
History
Crisis emerged from a network of activists, trade unionists, and clergy in the 1960s who responded to visible rooflessness in cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Early patrons and supporters included figures associated with the Trades Union Congress, the British Red Cross, and municipal leaders in the Greater London Council. During the 1970s and 1980s the charity coordinated with welfare organizations linked to the National Health Service, the Civil Service, and community groups arising after events such as the postwar housing crises and urban redevelopment schemes in Liverpool and Bristol. In subsequent decades Crisis expanded its profile through collaborations with arts institutions like the Royal Albert Hall, public campaigns alongside media outlets including the BBC and The Guardian, and research partnerships with universities such as University College London and the University of Oxford. High-profile fundraisers and celebrity endorsements involved personalities connected to the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and cultural figures from theatre and film festivals in Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Cannes Film Festival circuits. Legislative changes in the 1990s and 2000s—debated in forums involving MPs from parties like the Labour Party and the Conservative Party—influenced Crisis’s service delivery model and advocacy strategy.
Mission and Activities
Crisis’s stated mission centers on ending rooflessness by providing services, conducting research, and influencing policy debates. Its activities encompass direct support at local centres in cities such as Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cardiff, and Belfast, as well as national campaigning linked to research briefings produced in partnership with institutes like the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and think tanks including the Resolution Foundation. Crisis engages stakeholders across civic society—drawing on donors from charitable trusts, cultural institutions such as the National Theatre, and corporate partners headquartered in financial districts like Canary Wharf and the City of London. The organisation’s public-facing campaigns have sought to influence parliamentary inquiries, debates in the House of Commons, and policy reviews commissioned by local councils and devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.
Services and Programs
Crisis operates year‑round centres and seasonal winter services offering a range of interventions: accommodation advice, health and wellbeing support, education and employment training, and legal assistance. Programmatic partners have included providers within the NHS Foundation Trusts, local homelessness prevention teams in boroughs of London Borough of Camden and Manchester City Council, and voluntary networks tied to faith-based charities like the Salvation Army. Education and training initiatives draw on curricula developed with higher education partners such as the Open University and vocational collaborations with organisations connected to the Prince's Trust. Health services coordinate with mental health organisations and clinical networks linked to the Royal College of Psychiatrists and community pharmacy providers. Crisis also operates research and evaluation programmes that employ methodologies seen in studies by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the King's Fund.
Funding and Governance
Funding for the charity derives from a mix of individual donors, philanthropic foundations, corporate partnerships, and government grants awarded by departments interacting with housing policy. Major grant-making bodies and trusts that have engaged with Crisis include philanthropic institutions associated with the Wellcome Trust, charitable arms of multinational corporations based in London, and legacy gifts originating from donors connected to the Arts Council England and financial patrons from the British Bankers' Association era. Governance is overseen by a board comprising trustees drawn from sectors including law firms with presence near the Royal Courts of Justice, social policy academics from institutions like the London School of Economics, and leaders from service charities such as Shelter and international NGOs engaged at events like the World Economic Forum. Annual reporting follows standards promoted by the Charity Commission for England and Wales and involves external audits by large accounting firms with practices in the City of London.
Impact and Criticism
Crisis reports outcomes including numbers rehoused, trained, and medically supported, and publishes studies benchmarked against data sources such as national homelessness statistics compiled by the Office for National Statistics and academic research from King's College London. Supporters cite its role in delivering targeted services in urban centres, innovating seasonal outreach models, and shaping policy debates in parliamentary committees and select subcommittees. Critics and evaluators have raised questions about reliance on fundraising cycles, the scalability of centre-based models compared with systemic housing supply interventions debated in planning inquiries, and the balance between service provision and advocacy. Scholarly critiques reference comparative research involving international NGOs at summits like the United Nations General Assembly and policy analyses by the Institute for Government and Centre for Social Justice. Ongoing dialogue continues with local authorities, healthcare commissioners, and academic partners to refine impact measurement and strategic priorities.