#2 Deserving or Undeserving? A History of Welfare, Charity & Homelessness in Britain

600 Years of Homelessness

Britain’s approaches to poverty and homelessness have always been complex, and debates over how best to help the poor stretch back centuries. How to fund this support? Who is most deserving of it?

In this episode, we delve into the history of these support systems – from the Poor Law and workhouses to the rise of philanthropy and the birth of the modern welfare state. And we’ll explore how this history still shapes the way we think about homelessness today.

Want to get in touch? Please do! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

Click here for a transcript and information about the historical sources used in this episode: https://cutt.ly/YemViIfL.

Cast & Credits

Writer, producer and narrator: Adela Davis.

Guests: Prof Alannah Tomkins, Prof Jane Hamlett, Tia, Ross.

Cast: Tom, Nerys, Simon, Penny.

Cover art: Camilla Storvik.

Music & sound effects:

• "Suonatore di Liuto” | Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
• Folk Round | Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
• Laura Metcalf | J. S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008 I. Prélude | courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.
• Gregor Quendel | Bach - Invention No. 13 in A Minor - BWV 784 (Arr. for Strings) | courtesy of https://www.gregorquendel.com/.
• “Footsteps on old cobblestones” by arnaud coutancier | courtesy of https://freesound.org/ | licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0.
• “Police whistle old London.wav” by klankbeeld | courtesy of https://freesound.org/ | licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Next Steps

Not sure what to do when you see someone sleeping rough? This article from The Big Issue has some helpful tips for how to start a conversation. And this article addresses the question of whether or not you should give money.

Use the StreetLink website (England and Wales) to connect the local council outreach team with someone who is sleeping rough. All you need is a location, time, and brief description of the person.

Want to find out about local services and volunteering in your area (England)? There is a great database here: https://homeless.org.uk/homeless-england/.

Donate to a charity (e.g. Caring in Bristol, Shelter or Crisis) or buy The Big Issue from a local vendor.

Sign a petition or write to your local MP.

Check out the work of the Museum of Homelessness.