Health day offers extra support for homeless in Blackburn
published on 2 Feb 2026
Health day offers extra support to homeless community of Blackburn
The Salvation Army has held a health day in Blackburn to offer extra support to the town’s homeless community.
The initiative, which took place at the church and charity’s Lifehouse (hostel) Bramwell House, on Heaton Street, and funded by Public Health Blackburn, gave vulnerable people the drive and resources to speak to local organisations that could assist them in their journey out of homelessness.
The collaborative event, which was dedicated to providing essential health services, support and care all under one easy to access roof, brought a range of agencies together with people able to seek mental health support, harm reduction advice, access to recovery resources and medical check-ups and screening.
Toni Scott, programme manager for The Salvation Army Bramwell House said: “We are passionate about supporting people experiencing homelessness and are proud of the person-centred approach that we offer, giving people the drive they need to get their life back on track.
“Many people experiencing homelessness don’t have the motivation or courage to go out and make appointments, or stick to them, but putting on the health day allowed organisations to come to them. Supportive networks give people a reason to get up in the morning, enabling them to make positive changes to their lives.”
The event which took the form of a drop-in from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Wednesday, January 14, was attended by many local organisations including Public Health Blackburn, Hepatitis C Trust, Brook sexual health service, Spark drug and alcohol support, an NHS wound care nurse and a health and wellbeing team.
Toni added: “We want to send our heartfelt thanks to all the companies that joined us on the day. Organisations working together to offer time, knowledge and commitment truly makes a difference, which was clear to see from the engagement from our residents and the wider homeless community.
“Events like this show the strength of partnership working and community support and focusing on health and wellbeing is both wonderful and powerful in making positive changes to people’s lives.”
The Salvation Army hostels, known as Lifehouses, provide specialist support and guidance to help residents tackle the complex reasons that led them to become homeless and help them end this cycle. One of the largest homelessness charities operating in the UK, The Salvation Army provide more than 3,000 places for people in Lifehouses (hostels) across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
