‘Heaven!’ Snow backs homeless scheme

Published: 27 May 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

“PEOPLE think day centres are just hangouts for alcoholics and tramps,” said Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow as he launched a new scheme to cut the number of homeless people in London.

“But why shouldn’t the first experience of a person walking into a day centre be one of heaven – instead of having to drop into some awful dive, thinking, ‘this is where I must belong’.”

Mr Snow, who is chairman of the New Horizon Youth Centre, which works with homeless and vulnerable young people, was speaking at the centre’s new building in Chalton Street, Somers Town, yesterday (Wednesday).

He was launching a scheme to improve homeless services by encouraging day centres across the capital to sign up to a recognised set of standards. By following the charter, centres promise to deliver excellent services and lay themselves open to inspection every year.

Mr Snow said the drive was about “getting our house in order” to ensure vulnerable people get excellent services, as well as changing public perceptions of day centres from places offering basic “handouts” to places that are designed to rebuild people’s lives.

Mr Snow was joined by New Horizon director Shelagh O’Connor – who he described as a “small, perfectly formed dynamo” – and representatives from London Housing Foundation who are funding the scheme. He said he joined the centre in the 1970s after being “thrown out of university,” and said nothing could have prepared him for the role.

“I was unemployed and I saw the job advertised,” said Mr Snow. “I thought, ‘I’m singularly under-qualified’, but I applied anyway. You come across emotionally terrible things as a hack, but the difference is you have no responsibility.”

The centre opened its new “fit for purpose” building in February, which was made possible by a £1.5million lottery grant.