Posted: July 20, 2026
Joseph was a regular attendee of the Good Shepherd’s street homeless project know as the ‘Breakfast Club’ which has supported hundreds of people experiencing homelessness across the city.
Delivering on three mornings a week, and Saturday’s once a month, the Breakfast Club begins with outreach support on the streets of Wolverhampton, building connections with people before inviting them back to the Good Shepherd.
Joseph was sleeping rough in the city for 5 months and was a regular attendee to the Breakfast Club when it first began. Paul Burns who is a Homeless Outreach Worker at the Good Shepherd first met Joe sleeping in a door-way in Wolverhampton city centre, he said:
“Joe used to pack-up his stuff and come down to Breakfast Club, three times a week. It became a place he felt safe and could relax, something that’s difficult when you’re living on the streets on high alert. He used to come in sometimes soaked from the rain; in your late 60s with COPD it’s not easy.“
Once at the Good Shepherd, people who are street homeless can have a cooked breakfast, a hot shower, clean clothing and one-to-one support to help them into stable accommodation and other life changing provisions. The Breakfast Club project works closely with partners including P3 Charity and Recovery Near You to provide joined-up support to access services.
Paul continued:
“After working with Joe over several months we supported him with his physical and mental health and helped him into accommodation at a P3 hostel before securing a tenancy with a private landlord. He’s now been in his own home for a year.
“We couldn’t do it without the fantastic partners like P3 that we work with across the city.”
Joseph added:
“It was really hard sleeping on the streets. It (Breakfast Club) gave me purpose, something to look forward to in the mornings. Paul was a tremendous help, always has been.”
“I’m not 20, 30, 40, I’m knocking on 70 now. I’ve had my own tenancy for over a year, and I’m even back in touch with my family.
From left to right – Joseph and Homeless Outreach Worker Paul
Related Links
Good Shepherd Marks Two Years of the Breakfast Club – https://www.gsmwolverhampton.org.uk/good-shepherd-marks-two-years-of-street-homeless-support-in-wolverhampton/