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Liverpool shoppers are being encouraged to change their attitude to rough sleepers.

Those walking past the dozens of homeless people sleeping in doorways in the city centre each day should consider alternatives to buying them a coffee or sandwich, a leading Liverpool charity has said.

It would be better to donate the money to a homeless charity and report the rough sleeper to Liverpool’s The Whitechapel Centre, Ruth McCaughley from the organisation says.

Liverpool’s homeless problem was in the spotlight this month when the Love Activists group took over the empty Bank of England building on Castle Street for several weeks in a call for more provision for those without a home.

Here we give you the low-down on some of the most commonly asked questions about Liverpool’s homeless.

What should you do if you walk past a rough sleeper?

Call The Whitechapel Centre via their No Second Night Out service on 0300 123 2041, a low cost number available 24 hours a day.

Outreach workers will establish if the person is known to them and if they have accommodation.

Ruth McCaughley, from The Whitechapel Centre, said: “We would rather have 10 calls about the same person than none at all. If you feel comfortable you could speak to the person, ask if they have somewhere to sleep tonight and if they are in touch with The Whitechapel Centre.”

Should you give homeless people money, food or hot drinks ?

Ms McCaughley said: “Most of the people we work with have additional support needs, such as substance dependencies, mental health problems, offending backgrounds, and physical health problems. Giving money, food or hot drinks to a homeless person is unlikely to change the person’s situation.

“We believe people need long lasting solutions that meet their needs. By reporting rough sleepers on the No Second Night Out number, referring people to homeless services or donating to a local charity you are helping them to provide long lasting, practical help to change people’s situations.”

In how much need of donations and volunters is the Whitechapel Centre?

The Whitechapel Centre is open 365 days a year and provides hot food for people who have slept rough, along with shower facilities, toiletries and clean clothes.

Alongside this the centre provides housing advice and support to provide long-term solutions.

Ms McCaughley said: “We can only do this because of the generosity of the general public and the many wonderful volunteers who give us their time. We are always grateful for donations of food, toiletries, clothing and cash. We recruit for volunteers every few months, we provide full training and promise a varied and interesting experience.”

What does the council do to help the homeless?

Liverpool council currently spends £12.4m a year helping the city’s homeless.

The money is spent in several areas including the Urban Outreach and Support Service delivered in partnership with the Whitechapel Centre and homeless support service Basement. streets.

Who else helps?

Brownlow Health medical centre has a special homelessness service.

This means that as well as most of the clinicians having experience in this area, there are also two dedicated homelessness nurses, a hepatitis C nurse, an alcohol nurse and drugs workers.