CIRENCESTER, although an affluent area, is not immune from the issue of homelessness. Kate Jones explores its impact in the area and organisations trying to tackle the problem.
On October 7 last year, 52-year-old homeless engineer Hayden Powell was found dead in the public toilets in the Forum car park in Cirencester. His tragic death demonstrated that Cirencester and the Cotswolds, despite their affluence, are not immune from the issue of homelessness. Hayden would have represented one of 75 households needing a homelessness prevention or relief duty in the Cotswolds from October to December 2025 (out of 76,270 in England), according to government data. However, he was not the first homeless death in Cirencester with a public connection. Another homeless Cirencester man, Russell Jackson, 56, was found dead in the graveyard of the Parish Church of St John Baptist in the Market Place in Cirencester on April 30, 2019.
Discussing homelessness in rural areas, charity P3 - whose services include homelessness prevention support, rough sleeping outreach and supported housing - says individuals who need support in the Cotswolds face issues including lack of services, stigma and a difference between income and living cost. The organisation notes that limited local services, long travel distances and a lack of visible support mean homeless people in rural and tourist-rich areas often do not feature in official statistics. It adds that homelessness in rural areas is more likely to be hidden. Homeless individuals sofa surf, reside in inappropriate housing or stay in places like cars and outbuildings. A 2025 report from Healthwatch Gloucestershire, which champions health and social care in the area, highlights how hidden homelessness affects the county.
Being homeless in Cirencester
One homeless person on the streets in Cirencester who has experienced different forms of homelessness, who asked not to be named, has had experience with sofa surfing, hostel accommodation and tents. The individual, who estimated they had been on the streets for three years, became homeless after their landlord decided to sell the home they were living in.
“My private landlord was selling his property, so I was given three months to move out,” they said. “I went to the council, but in the three months, I didn’t get a home. I have a dog, and it slowed everything down.
“I have stayed on friends’ sofas, but you can only do that for so long. I’ve had a couple of tents, but every time I’ve had a tent in town, it gets taken by the council or damaged by somebody. Homeless outreach have been good, but they wanted to put me in Cheltenham. I’ve had issues, so I don’t really want to be put over there, where the issues are more rife.”
What is being done to tackle homelessness in Cirencester?
Cotswold District Council says it has a ‘prevention-first’ approach to homelessness, with its priority being ‘to prevent people from becoming homeless wherever possible and to intervene early before situations reach crisis point’. The council said it provided emergency accommodation for more than 140 households in 2025/26 and prevented more than 200 households from becoming homeless.
“The council provides housing advice, homelessness-prevention support and emergency accommodation where needed,” a spokesperson said. “We work closely with partner organisations, housing associations, domestic abuse services and Gloucestershire-wide services to ensure householders can access the support they need. This includes our Housing First approach for householders with complex needs, outreach services and the ‘No Second Night Out’ approach, which aims to ensure anyone rough sleeping is offered accommodation quickly. The council also owns and manages emergency accommodation with onsite support.”
Aside from CDC’s work, charitable organisations provide support to homeless people in the Cirencester area. One is the charity Cirencester Signpost, which provides one-to-one support for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.
“We treat people on an individual basis to ensure they drive and determine their own futures,” co-founder and homeless outreach lead Graham Harris said. “We embed ourselves at The Long Table and in a homeless hostel. We also keep our support ongoing as people move into their own properties, because that when they’re at their greatest time of failure.”
“Signpost offers the complete package,” added outreach volunteer Peter Sowerby, who was helped by the charity when he experienced a difficult period and was close to becoming homeless. “We will guide people to where they need to be. We can help people get registered with a doctor, with their fitness, with access to showers and with haircuts.”
Vital local support
Another charity assisting homeless people in Cirencester is Food For Thought Cotswolds, which provides hot food, drinks and support to homeless people and others in need on nights in the town. “We get homeless people visiting and we clothe them, feed them and give them emergency items,” founder Gerry Watkins said. “We had a young man turn up and he had very thin trousers on, no socks, worn-out shoes that were letting in water, a thin T-shirt and a jacket that had seen better days. We gave him new clothes and fed him, and he cried. His words were: ‘I’ve never been cared for and shown love like I have now.’”
In the Cotswold district, 20 per cent of main applicants owed a homelessness prevention or relief duty by the local authority between October and December last year were aged between 18 and 24. Charity Cirencester Housing for Young People offers supported accommodation for homeless people aged 16 to 25 in the district and teaches them how to look after themselves. The organisation has seven rooms at accommodation in Cirencester and plans to offer seven more.
“What CHYP means is that you don’t see as many young people out on the streets, because we’ve been here for 40 years,” CHYP fundraiser Rebecca Cotton said. “Younger homeless age groups tend to come from different sources. CHYP is a really important place because it’s the only place in the Cotswolds that only deals with 16 to 25-year-olds.”
Cirencester-based charity The Churn Community Hub, which works to reduce isolation and increase wellbeing for people in the town and surrounding villages, also offers services which assist homeless individuals including support with food and health and access to education. “We’re working in partnership with Cirencester Signpost on a project called Blood Pressure Matters,” said Michelle Bradburn, community wellbeing coordinator. “We have a project particularly targeting men over the age of 30 to access a blood pressure monitor, get the reading and understand what that reading means. We’ve also got a community garden we are breaking ground on in July. We’ve been given a piece of land by Cirencester Town Council, and vegetables will be planted as well as flowers and there’s going to be a relaxation space.”
But with Mr Harris warning that homelessness is going to get worse - and amid an era in which 1,611 homeless people died in the UK in 2024, according to the Museum of Homelessness - Graham notes that everyone needs to play their part in tackling the issue.
“Homeless people are part of our community,” he said. “We must accept ownership of homelessness, and we must put pressure on our politicians locally and nationally to ensure this problem is worked on so we get a better outcome in the long term. It’s a case of: ‘Wake up now.’”
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