Why We Exist

Everyday, the frontline services tackling homelessness face shortfalls in the resources they need to support the people living through it. From tins to tampons, There are hundreds of incredible, dedicated organisations and individuals working to alleviate these strains, and since our foundation in 2017 we’ve had the privilege of partnering with many of them across the UK, France, Italy, and Israel.

But research has highlighted time and again both how feelings of isolation and self-esteem affect the ability of people in this situation to access and pursue the support they need.

So rather than working to meet the immediate physical needs of people experiencing homelessness, like food and shelter, our organisation exists to meet the less tangible needs of people experiencing homelessness. We all have these needs — the need to tell the world who we are, to be heard and understood. We put human stories at the heart of everything we do, and our projects aim to transform these stories into new channels of dialogue which can catalyse systemic change.

Typically, participants in our courses will learn photography skills and develop a portfolio of visual and written work, which is then exhibited in a range of venues and offered for sale, with profits from each sale going to the creator of the work, through a self-development fund which is administered by the participant in partnership with social workers.

The Team

POTS was founded in 2017. The wider POTS team is made up of freelance creatives, volunteers and advisors.

UK team:

Alex Greenhalgh CEO and Project Co-Director

Ollie Bream McIntosh Impact Lead and Project Co-Director

Bryony Moore (Comms / Social Media)

Ellena Major Graphic Design Lead

Nathan Whittaker Photography Course Lead and Instructor

INTERNATIONAL team:

Tamar Shemesh (Director)

Ben Maor (Project Manager, Tel Aviv)

Mara Scampoli (Project Manager, Italy)

If you are interested in volunteering with POTS, please contact Alex: alex@peopleofthestreets.co.uk