Aylesbury Homeless Action Group

26/05/2026

As the weather is exceptionally hot, if you see anyone sleeping out on the streets of Buckinghamshire, please contact StreetLink via https://www.streetlink.org.uk or phone 0300 500 0914, who will notify our dedicated Outreach workers.

If you see anyone you believe to be under the age of 18 and/or are concerned about the health or welfare of anyone that you see sleeping rough, please call 999.

Water and shade will be available in Buckinghamshire Council offices at Walton Street, Aylesbury and Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe.

During office hours you can contact our housing teams on the following numbers:

• 01296 585168
• Out of hours - 0800 999 7677

26/05/2026

Trigger warning: Su***de and domestic abuse.

When Donna* first came to us in the autumn of 2024, she was facing eviction, struggling with her mental and physical health, and trying to rebuild her life after leaving a domestically abusive relationship. She had become dependent on alcohol to cope, her bills were in arrears, and emergency services were visiting her home regularly due to severe overdoses. She was overwhelmed, frightened, and completely alone.

At first, Donna found it difficult to engage with us, her health and circumstances made everything feel impossible. But over time, through regular phone calls and gentle support, she began to trust us. She started coming into the office for appointments, and together we worked through the eviction notices she had received. With help from a housing solicitor, we established that one of the eviction notices was invalid, giving Donna precious time to stabilise before facing a separate valid eviction notice.

While waiting for the court date, Donna worked incredibly hard. She engaged with recovery services, attended hospital frequently due to her mental health, and eventually completed an inpatient detox. Just one week into her sobriety, her perpetrator broke into her home and attacked her. He was arrested, and Donna, now sober and supported, was able to report what had happened and keep herself safe.

Over the months that followed, Donna rebuilt her life piece by piece. She volunteered at a recovery centre, set up payment plans for her debts, and came to see us every week. Then, in 2025, she received a cancer diagnosis. We supported her through hospital appointments, checked in regularly, and helped her stay connected to the services she needed.

Despite everything; cancer treatment, recovery from addiction, and the ongoing threat of homelessness, Donna kept going. She protected herself from further abuse, stayed sober, and continued her search for a safe home where she and her emotional support dog, Roxy, could stay together.

In early 2026, Donna was finally offered a property outside Buckinghamshire. We paid a month’s rent in advance, helped her set up her bills, and supported her to settle into her new community.

Today, Donna is over a year sober and cancer free. She loves her new home, feels safe walking Roxy, and is rebuilding her life with strength and dignity.

Your monthly donations make stories like Donna’s possible. You help people facing homelessness, trauma, addiction, and crisis find safety, stability, and hope.

If you can, please consider becoming a monthly donor. Your support truly changes lives.

One off and regular payments can be made via this same link https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/30543
*To protect the identity of our client, their name has been changed and an AI image has been generated.

22/05/2026

🚨Important notice 🚨

Unfortunately, we are experiencing issues with our email and referral systems.

Please note, any referrals or emails sent between now and Tuesday may not be received which means we cannot respond or action them.

We ask that you kindly wait until Tuesday to email or refer yourself/others to our service.

Thank you for your understanding.

21/05/2026

21/05/2026

We were honoured when the Rothschild Foundation chose us as their Charity of the Year — and even more delighted to be invited to join their annual Bake Off at the Five Arrows Hotel with the wonderful Manor team.

Our tiny AHAG team gave it everything, entering all four categories and proudly bringing home two wins. Moments like this remind us how powerful community support can be.

Thank you to everyone involved, including the Mayor of Aylesbury, and to all who helped raise around £850. Your kindness helps local people move closer to safe, stable housing.

If your workplace is looking for a Charity of the Year partnership, our door is open. Drop us a DM and let’s talk.

19/05/2026

Clothing appeal!

We’re running low on men’s size large hoodies and joggers, and the need is growing.

Many of the people we support are sleeping rough or living in cold, unstable accommodation. A warm hoodie or pair of joggers isn’t just clothing, it’s comfort, dignity and a small bit of safety.

If you have any new or good‑quality hoodies or joggers in a size large that you can donate, we’d be so grateful.

Drop‑offs can be made at our office, and every single donation goes directly to someone who needs it.

Thank you for helping us keep people warm.

18/05/2026

At the start of the year, Elliott* came to us after being kicked out of his family home, leaving him with no choice but to sleep rough. Despite everything he was facing, he worked tirelessly with Buckinghamshire Council and was quickly verified as rough sleeping by the outreach team at Connection Support.

Elliott did everything he could to advocate for himself. He wrote detailed emails, gathered evidence, and pushed to be recognised as priority need meaning that he required temporary accommodation. He didn’t even have ID at the time, so we helped him order a new birth certificate so he could move forward.

During our support sessions, Elliott opened up about his recent ADHD diagnosis and his determination to start medication. To do that, he had already stopped drinking (as instructed by medical professionals) and was two weeks sober. He also shared that he was working with probation after previous drink driving convictions. Elliott was incredibly motivated — he asked for referrals to One Recovery Bucks and GamCare, and he was honest about needing supported accommodation rather than trying to privately rent before he was ready.

We completed applications for every suitable supported accommodation in the area and helped Elliott to explore the option of rehab, but made sure Elliott knew the decision was his to make.

Unfortunately, supported accommodation spaces were full, and Elliott’s mental health began to decline. He was juggling multiple appointments, struggling to afford food, and feeling overwhelmed. We provided foodbank vouchers and offered mental health referrals while he continued to engage with the council and provide evidence of his support needs.

Then, a breakthrough; Elliott was offered temporary accommodation and accepted as priority need. Shortly after, he was invited to interview for a supported accommodation placement. But the temporary accommodation he’d been placed in was having a negative impact on his wellbeing. He was sharing with another man whose behaviour was affecting him. Elliott relapsed, delaying his ADHD medication, and his probation worker reached out to express concern.

We booked Elliott into our housing legal clinic so he could get advice about the suitability of the temporary accommodation. He prepared thoroughly, sending over everything he thought the solicitors might need. The appointment went well, and the solicitors agreed to take on his case. It was an emotional moment for Elliott which allowed him to share how much he was struggling and how he’d been drinking at night just to cope. We reminded him how far he’d come and how much of this progress was down to his own determination.

And then, finally, the news he’d been waiting for.

Elliott was offered an interview for supported accommodation. He attended the interview, spoke passionately about wanting to get back into work, and showed how ready he was to rebuild his life. A week later, he was offered the property. He was relieved, grateful, and no longer needed legal support.

Today, Elliott is safe, supported, and focused on his future.

Please help us to continue to help people like Elliott.

Your small donation would be the start of someone's bright, stable future.

One off and regular payments can be made via this same link https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/23027

*To protect the identity of our client, their name has been changed and an AI image has been generated.

12/05/2026

Trigger warning: su***de.

Zhen first reached out to us in April 2025 after receiving an eviction notice. Despite having very minimal income at the time, she had always paid her rent in full. As time passed, that notice became invalid meaning Zhen was no longer at risk of homelessness. However, at the end of 2025, the landlord issued a new eviction notice, and Zhen once again found herself facing the fear and uncertainty of losing her home.

Zhen came back to us for support. She had been served a Section 21 notice, and her landlord had been granted a possession order. Zhen and one of her adult sons needed to find alternative accommodation.

During this time, Zhen’s mental health deteriorated significantly. She disclosed that she had recently attempted su***de and said she felt completely hopeless. We immediately referred her to a mental health charity. They helped her create a safety plan and agreed to fund private counselling sessions to give her the emotional support she urgently needed.

Zhen worked tirelessly to find private rented accommodation, but she faced barrier after barrier; landlords unwilling to accept her and rents far higher than what she could afford. At the same time, she had just secured a job which she was eager to start, knowing it could improve her financial situation, but her mental health and the stress of her housing crisis made it incredibly difficult to cope.

During one of our appointments with Zhen, we looked together at the housing register and found a property that seemed perfect for Zhen and her son. Safe, suitable, and close enough for her to travel to her new job. We encouraged her to place a bid, and she did. Shortly after, she received the news she had been successful.

Zhen and her son are now preparing to move into their new home in the coming weeks. We have been able to support her by paying the rent in advance, and we will continue helping her apply for white goods and furniture so she can settle in and rebuild her life with dignity.

Zhen’s journey shows how quickly someone can spiral into crisis and how transformative the right support can be.

Please help us to continue to help people like Zhen.

Your small donation would be the start of someone's bright, stable future.
One off and regular payments via this same link https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/23027

AI generated image to honour the identity of our client.