The royal wedding.

This is so difficult to discuss without emotion .

Would anyone feel unconcerned with your children/grandchildren walking to school or the shops knowing some on the streets may be addicts ?

A good post Paddyann,

What a good idea Grandmama, if it did happen though I'm sure that some would still attribute a negative twist to it.
As I have said before we are all an accident of birth , none of us chose who or what we are, but at least some people do try to do their bit to help those less fortunate, & I have also said seriously how many of us would take in a homeless person!!!? Not many I suspect !

I think on their wedding day Harry and Megan should provide a 'reception' for the Windsor rough sleepers, along the lines of Crisis at Christmas. That would give the Tory councillor something to ponder. I read in Waitrose magazine about a daily lunch centre for homeless/lonely people in London where food (often cooked by guest celebrity cooks) and other facilities are provided - all free. Can't remember its name.

I heard that the Windsor beggars/homeless (not necessarily one and the same, of course) have become aggressive and are frightening people and that is the reason the council want them moved on. Scaring away the tourists! It's just dreadful that there should actually be homeless people in this country.

Incidentally, I caught a glimpse of a pic of MM on the front of a newspaper yesterday and for a fleeting second thought she was Wallis Simpson! When I looked more closely I could still see a passing resemblance.

All of us posting on this site,obviously have roofs over our heads & food to eat, & a computer to pontificate on all & sundry, but how many of US are opening our homes to the homeless? I dare say many of us contribute money or food to a charity or to help a homeless person when we are going about our every day lives , so before we all get on the bandwagon of criticising others who ever they may be, firstly we should perhaps look to ourselves!!

durhamjen I presume your comment was tongue in cheek.

Some "rough sleepers" will not go into shelters having witnessed/experienced violence, theft etc, they feel safer on the street. I will not give money to anyone begging. As previously stated if they won't accept an offer of food &/or hot drink they are not genuine "homeless".

Shame on this Councillor for making Political Capital by using the Royal Wedding in this way. I'm sure the Police & Security Services will move these people but hopefuly liaise with the Homeless Charities etc

I do not agree with the councillor but he is there for the people of Windsor who elected him , we have no idea if he has been swamped with complaints about people sleeping on pavements .

As for .Diana's concern for the homeless , how many did she give shelter to?

MinniesMum - The majority? Are you sure?

Vampirequeen, how dare these people sit near a big castle that has enough empty bedrooms to house them all?

Can we just remember it is not Prince Harry who has made this statement nor the Royal family.
Also can we acknowledge as some posters already have that there is & always will be the genuine & the scammers.
Windsor Castle is bang slap in the middle of Windsor ,so this isn't something that the residents, shop owners etc are not already aware of , shame on the gentleman(obviously he's not) who uttered such comments ?

Diana made sure that her children knew about people sleeping rough. She took them to see for themselves and supported campaigns to help the homeless. Harry would not want them 'cleared from the streets' unless they were being given food and a permanent roof over their heads. He is his mother's son x

I wonder if he piped up now because he is hoping for some extra funding to help with the homeless in Windsor or as has already been said I guess security is going to be a huge problem and maybe he is looking for extra help there its bound to all come down to money/ratepayers and politics in the end.

Paperbackbutterfly the Eastern European beggars (probably Romanians) should be deported let them go beg in their own country.

with universal credit causing even more of a problem for people who depend on benefits SOME are begging to pay their bills..should we look down at them because they have hit hard times or think there but for the grace of "god" go I.? Or are you happier to see them lose what little they may have from a lifetime of low paid work and end up without a roof over their heads.Recent polls suggest a majority of people are only two wage packets away from trouble .I'm very glad its not some of you...but maybe I wouldn't be so smug....who lnows when it'll be YOUR turn for bad luck

"I wouldn't want MY wedding venue blighted by rough sleepers..."

The people who have places to live don't stay out on the street all night. Rough sleepers usually have no where else to go. They are the poorest in our society.

How dare the poorest in society be on view when the richest in society drive by? They should do the decent thing and hide away so that their poverty doesn't cause offence.

I did think it was partly to do with security. Anything could be hidden in the sleeping bags and bags.

Well it would be a nice gesture if the Windsor homeless were housed in time for the Royal Wedding at the Royal's expense - Harry has a few bob hasn't he?

Not all beggars are homeless and not all homeless people beg. Oldwoman70 has it right when she suggests that a conversation with the person will help to identify why people are on the streets. I run a homelessness charity and can tell you that, more than anything, the homeless people I work with want to be acknowledged; they say being ignored contributes to feelings of helplessnesss and despair. Many homeless people are not street sleepers, but are 'sofa surfers' and a lot of these are women in their fifties!!! They go from friend to friend or stay with adult children in turn - often after a relationship breakdown when they've left home and assumed that the local council has a duty to house them. They don't!!

Yesterday I spent almost two hours with a local housing officer and a homeless mentally ill man who has no addictions and has never been behind with his rent - and because the 'system' doesn't have a protocol for his particular circumstances he has ZERO CHANCE of being housed.

You only have to talk to people to find out if they are genuine or not. I tend to stop, ask their name, would they like something to eat or drink (homeless people can have allergies too) - if they turn that down and ask for cash instead I walk away. Those who accept food and a hot drink I invariably give cash to as well. I will often sit and talk with them whilst they eat and I have heard some very sad stories.

We also need to be aware that some homeless people 'sofa surf*, where friends and family let them sleep on the sofa for a while.

These people are still homeless, but they are not necessarily rough sleepers.

I have never seen so many beggars than I did during a recent trip to Edinburgh, although I appreciate most "touristy" cities will probably be similar or worse. All seemed to have cardboard signs with things like "It is my 30th birthday today and I am homeless" (if true)

I am a little ashamed to admit that I walked past most of them, albeit with a bit of a heavy heart, not sure how many were genuinely homeless people.

Gillybob
Precisely! My friend has a flat not far from Royal Crescent in Bath. One of the more persistent itinerants was just leaving his pitch outside the Abbey and she followed him up the road, up through Queens Square where he turned off. She followed him slowly and saw him going into a flat just behind the Square. She did that several evenings when she left work and there is no doubt in her mind that he lives there and scrounges rather than earn a living and pay tax like the rest of us.

Do we not also have to have some sympathy for shop keepers? Windsor depends on tourism .

Not amusing to turn up to open your shop and have someone stoned and sleeping in the doorway , this happens often.

Where can all the homeless be housed? What of those who refuse accomodation, should they be forced into hostels?

I was shocked recently when my niece sent details of the salaries of charity CEO's.
I only ever give to Salvation Army hoping that donations are sold in their shops for the benefit of those who are really in need?