Covent Garden - Sock Mob volunteers piloting ‘Alternative’ homeless tours for tourists

Published: 08 October 2010
by JOSH LOEB

WALKING tours of “unseen” Covent Garden led by homeless people could become a permanent feature on the West End tourist trail.

Pilot versions of the tours, which aim to give visitors an “alternative” view of the capital, are coinciding with World Homeless Day on October 10.

The tours are the brainchild of Sock Mob, a network of volunteers who distribute socks to the homeless and seek to “empower” them by building up their confidence.

Volunteer Lidija Mavra said: “We want to tackle this terrible stigma around homelessness and show that homeless people are intelligent and have a story to tell, and that they have a history and there are reasons for why they are in that situation.”

Tours run until early 2011 and tickets cost £5 to £8 with proceeds going to the guides. 

For details contact www.sockmobevents.org.uk or call 07514266774 or 07514266775.