Lucy Campbell, our Head of Multiple Disadvantage, was recently recognised as one of the nine finalists for the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness.

The Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 2023 awards people experiencing homelessness and journalists who shine a slight on the problem and its potential solutions.

Lucy was nominated for her Homeless Link blog on women's rough sleeping and our film of Michelle talking about her lived experience of rough sleeping.

Lucy said: “Ten and even five years ago, women's rough sleeping was seen as a minor problem - it feels like there is finally increasing recognition that women are sleeping rough in greater numbers than the data tells us, but their rough sleeping is often hidden, transient and intermittent. We need to do more to reach and support them - and opportunities like the Orwell Prize give us a platform to shout about it!”.

Lucy's efforts have helped tackle these issues and shed light on the unique struggles faced by women rough sleeping. Her work has not only raised public awareness but also provided a platform for advocating for their support and well-being.

Daniel Lavelle and Freya Marshall Payne, journalists at the Guardian, were announced as joint winners of the inaugural prize. Carolyn Atkinson (BBC Woman’s Hour & You and Yours) and Jack Simpson (Inside Housing) were also Highly Commended by the judges for their entries reporting on the growing scandal of ‘exempt accommodation’.

Find out more about our work with women here.