A homelessness charity in London installed bright orange headphones at locations around the capital as part of a campaign to share the stories of people who have endured rough sleeping.
The so-called ‘Herephones’ were located at the exact spots where frontline workers with St Mungo’s helped people sleeping rough to find safety. The stories of David, Andy, Arwa, and Tracey were narrated by well-known voices to raise awareness of the charity’s work in the homelessness crisis.
Nigel Boyle, best known for his roles as ‘H’ in Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders, and Humans, as well as voicing popular video games Total War: War Hammer III, and Squadron 42 – Star Citizen narrated the stories alongside Lainy Boyle who plays recurring character, Dylan, in The Dumping Ground (BBC). Other TV credits include Maternal (ITV) Casualty, Inventing The Ripper (Sky) and The Good Ship Murder (C5).
Members of the public could ‘listen in’ with the ‘Herephones’ at five locations around the capital including Whitechapel Highstreet, Westminster Bridge Road and Talgarth Road in Hammersmith & Fulham.
David, aged 62 years, whose real life story featured in the campaign, said: “I was homeless on and off for 10 years, including through the lockdown which was incredibly lonely. Following a particularly terrifying attack while sleeping rough one night, I’d begun to lose all hope. But this all changed when I discovered St Mungo’s.
“With the charity’s support, I was provided counselling and moral support as well as food vouchers. They’ve also helped negotiate on my behalf around debt repayment, which gives me more time to concentrate on my film studies – a life-long passion of mine. I hope that by sharing my story it’ll give hope to those who find themselves sleeping rough – I’m proof you can rebuild your life.”
New figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) show that the number of people sleeping rough in London from April 2024 to March 2025 was 13,231, a 10% rise on the same period a year before, and a 63% rise versus a decade ago, with the stark figures reflecting the broader scale of the homelessness crisis in the UK.
St Mungo’s says its frontline workers are seeing more people facing homelessness than ever before; a combination of high health needs and lack of affordable housing is pushing many people onto the streets.
Emma Haddad, chief executive at St Mungo’s, called the stories shared through the Herephones “a tribute to everyone who has been affected by homelessness, each with a story to tell”.
“We are in the middle of a homelessness emergency,” she added. “More and more people are being met by our frontline workers day and night: a warm smile, a friendly chat, and an offer of emergency accommodation can be a lifeline for people facing homelessness. St Mungo’s has been there for them for the past 55 years and will continue to be there – until we have ended homelessness for good.”
Emotional stories
The campaign’s emotional stories described how the individuals became homeless, and the hurdles they faced while living on the streets.
The narrations went onto explore how lives were rebuilt, and hope was rediscovered with the support of St Mungo’s. They told the stories of feeling safer at night after a move to emergency shelter, followed by longer-term stability with a place people can finally call their own.
The launch of the brightly coloured Herephones, which reflect St Mungo’s brand colours, coincided with St Mungo’s ‘We’re Here’ campaign. Currently being shown on billboards, buses and bus stops across the city, it spotlights the issue of homelessness and how St Mungo’s is the charity on the frontlines of the homelessness emergency.
For many, that first interaction with a St Mungo’s frontline worker can open the door to emergency accommodation and a route out of homelessness.
Main image: David Fussell with the Herephone that shared his story. Photo credit: David Parry/PA Media Assignments
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