People Features

Roger Defoe is the Westminster area manager of Centrepoint, a charity that provides shelter and services for around 800 young homeless people in London.

When did you first arrive in London?

I was born in the old Hackney hospital and I have lived in Hackney all my life. My parents come from Antigua. Dad came in the late 1950s, Mum came in the 1960s.

Where did you grow up?

First in Upper Clapton, then we moved to Stoke Newington and then to Stamford Hill. There’s a steep hill in Upper Clapton called Spring Hill. Lots of us went down it on bikes and skate boards: only two of us didn’t break a limb. I’ve still got the scars!

How much freedom did you have as a child?

From the ages of eight, we were going around without adults. My primary school teacher gave me a book about the sights of London. So, in the summer holidays, a group of us bought Red Rover tickets (one day bus passes) and we went to Exhibition Road, Greenwich Park, Monument, Marble Arch and Fleet Street in order to tick off the attractions listed in the book. Sometimes, we did deviate slightly.

Is London a good place to bring up children?

Yes, because of the cultural diversity. You form your opinions and ideas when you are growing up and so it has a big impact on you. I think children now are even more aware of different cultures than we were.

Where do you live now?

In Stoke Newington, near my Mum. I like the fact that there are so many green open spaces nearby: Hackney Marches, Clissold Park, Springfield Park and London Fields. And transport is excellent. I have noticed Hackney change a lot over the years - there is now an organic shop on every other corner.

Describe a normal day’s work

Ideally, I like to cycle to work, but lately I’ve turned into a fair weather cyclist so I take the bus or tube. I’m based in Soho, where you can literally watch the world go by. I manage three of Centrepoint’s centres. So, I will be writing reports or responding to emails from one of my deputies, or from one of the service providers we work with.

At the moment, I’m involved in the Countdown to Christmas Appeal which starts on 15 November. We’re desperately trying to raise £266,437 - the cost of food, services and accommodation over the Christmas and New Year period. To launch the appeal there’s a sponsored sleep out in Leadenhall market on 13 November.

In the past, homelessness was seen as a big issue. Is it now?

I started in this line of work in the early 1990s, when the issue was often in the headlines; mainly negative reports. I was at college on a youth training and social work course and I did a work placement with Centrepoint. It made me realise that actually these people have stories to tell.

Back then the problem was more visible; there were more people sleeping in shop doorways. Now, it is less visible, but recent research found that across the UK, 75,000 young people a year, experience homelessness.

Why are they less visible?

They are less visible but they are definitely still there. People stay on night buses all night, or in internet cafes. They might go into a park knowing that no-one is going to bother them.

There is also definitely more pro-active work with the homeless. Organisers tend to work with the issues that people have, rather than just kicking them out of a hostel, and back onto the street, because they are too aggressive.

In your experience, what leads to homelessness?

A common reason is family breakdown. Another is emotional, physical or sexual abuse at home. There are also people who are leaving the care system. And refugees who were sent to places like Carlisle or Plymouth, where there are no communities that they feel part of - they tend to come to London.

Where do the people you help come from?

When I first started, I didn’t see any London kids. They were from Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Ireland. Now, the majority are from London and the South East.

What can be done to improve things?

First, we need a more robust mental health service that is ready for young people. Now, if we’ve got someone in crisis, it can be a long process to get them help.

Second, we need better access to drug rehabilitation programmes. For some people, it doesn’t happen quickly enough.
Third, the benefit system needs to encourage people to look for work rather than to stay on benefits.

Where do you find tranquillity in London?

I cycle over Hackney Marches, and on to Springfield Park. There, at the top of the hill are benches partly enclosed by hedges that look out across London. I like to sit there and read a book.

What is the worst thing about London?

The regeneration of Hackney has meant that a lot of my friends, who would love to stay near their parents to help look after them, have had to move out to East London and Essex, in order to get on the property ladder.
And…… bendy buses – but don’t get me started on those!!

What is the best thing?

The diversity. You really notice what you have here when you travel outside London. And, I do think the transport system is great.

If you had one more day in London what would you do?

A family get together in Hackney - a big meal and party. A bit of squabbling over mum’s cooking, to see who gets the biggest portion!

Where do you want to end up when you pop your clogs?

In Hackney. I’ve always been adamant that I would be buried. But lately I’ve been thinking about cremation. Perhaps my ashes could be scattered during a fireworks display!

But for now, as much as I would love to continue living in Hackney, the next move for me will probably be somewhere else.