By Henry Green (Platform Magazine) and Archie Marks (Redbrick Newspaper)
Birmingham and Nottingham are amongst the most deprived areas in the Midlands with the most barriers to housing. But student volunteers are working to reduce the impact that homelessness can have on people. Groups like Vets in the Community and Action Against Homelessness have never been more essential.
Vets in the Community
Vets in the Community (VIC) was set up in 2012 by students and staff from the University of Nottingham’s veterinary medicine department.
The team has since carried out more than 2,000 consultations and in 2020, the team launched their mobile trailer so they could take their services out into the wider community. The latest sessions were held at King Edward Park in Sneinton, Nottingham on Wednesday 7th May.
The charity recently made it into the Big Issue’s top 100 changemakers list for 2025 in the health and disability category.
Chris, who works at the Big Issue, said: “The demand for the service is sadly increasing because of the cost of living and, unfortunately, I can see the need for more fundraising and more people turning towards these surgeries.
“The guys from Change Makers came to the clinic for a day and they were so impressed by what they saw that the clinic automatically went on to Change Makers,” he added.
Pets of eligible people can receive free routine treatments such as vaccinations, health checks, micro-chipping and treatment for worms, fleas and minor ailments.
Benjamin Stewart brought his friend’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier Spotty, who was suffering with problems with his ears.
“I heard that the clinic was here through a friend, I’ve been before with him and they are very good at what they do,” he said.
“It’s important because people like my friend can’t really afford it, due to being on benefits, so it’s a good thing this charity exists otherwise we wouldn’t be able to bring Spotty at all and get him fixed up,”
People who have been referred to the service can access the clinic each week at one of two locations in Nottingham – King Edward Park and Forest Recreation Ground.
The team works alongside numerous support services in the area, including homelessness support charities the Big Issue and Framework.
Katie Hall, a student of veterinary medicine at the University of Nottingham, said: “We really feel like it benefits the community, and the basic care that we do here makes a big difference to the pets.
“It’s really nice to feel like you are able to offer your services for free, it’s fantastic for us as well as we get a chance to learn and practice while we’re learning to be vets,” Katie added.
Donations to the clinic also help the team give away pet food and offer advice on pet health care and nutrition.
Last year, the charity conducted more than 400 consultations across 45 clinics, which is a 20 per cent increase on 2023.
All of the work carried out by VIC is funded through charity donations and fundraisers organised by the students and people can donate here.
Alongside the work of VIC, the UK has seen a shocking 14% rise in homelessness over the past year.
UoB Action Against Homelessness
Barely an hour away, students at the University of Birmingham (UoB) are also responding to this crisis.
The UoB student-run Action Against Homelessness (AAH) society holds regular fundraisers for a range of charities – among them Homeless One, Feedo Needo and Birmingham Outreach.
Zoë Devereux, 21, studying PPE, tells us about some of their recent initiatives, which include their monthly bake sales, a charity gig night, and a ‘sleepout’ that raised £1,257 for St Basils, a charity helping homeless youth.
Their ‘invaluable’ contributions to Feedo Needo, a food charity, has led to them receiving a Certificate of Appreciation.
Richmond Agyenim Boateng, 21, studying Geography, says the scale of homelessness in Birmingham can feel overwhelming.
He said: “But through small, consistent actions change is possible.”
Much of the communication from AAH comes through their Instagram (@uobaah_), through which they promote their fundraisers and encourage non-members to donate. This platform also enables its members to educate fellow students about the problems faced by homeless people.
The awareness that AAH raised for this cause, coupled with their fundraising efforts, led in large part to them winning the Community Impact Award at this year’s Guild Awards, which honours the best societies at the University of Birmingham’s Guild of Students.
Amelie Nummy, 21, studying Psychology, says that the demand for food banks in particular has sharply risen recently.
In response to this, AAH have introduced new food collection efforts: redirecting food leftovers from the University’s open days; a ‘festive food drop’ that occurred just before Christmas; regular curry socials where members are encouraged to bring a food donation.
These donations are essential for homeless people in Birmingham, which – according to Emma Bull, 22, studying Social Policy – has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the UK.
For AAH’s members, helping the homeless and giving back to their local community is personally fulfilling, too. Catherine Bailey, 20, studying Psychology, is motivated by the injustice she has seen, for example young people who are at financial risk but feeling unable to reach out for support because of “embarrassment and fear.”
Catherine said: “If it wasn’t for society promoting the idea that being homeless or financially vulnerable is dishonourable, people might well have felt able to access support earlier.”
She cites recent ‘anti-homeless’ stances taken by the UK, like spikes on the floor and arm rests on benches, as examples of the stigma around homelessness worsening.
More students such as Khalid Abdulkarim, 20, studying Neuroscience, discussed their opinions over the matter.
He said: “No-one should feel like they don’t matter.”
In reality, the stigma can be interpreted as misconceptions. The majority of homeless people are not drug or gambling addicts, but ordinary people beset by misfortune, and student Emma says that homelessness is a more complex, structural issue than most realises.
AAH gives regular updates on their Instagram and LinkedIn, and offer free membership to University of Birmingham students. Amelie says that, despite feelings of uncertainty that might deter someone from joining, AAH aims to create a “welcoming and safe environment,” adding that first time volunteers are inspired to come back to continue help.