The service at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Photo: The Connection at St Martin-in-the-fields
TRIBUTES to rough sleepers who died this year lit up Trafalgar Square’s famous church as hundreds remembered those who perished on the streets of London.
St Martin-in-the-Fields was packed yesterday, Thursday, for the annual service of commemoration, organised by the church and homelessness groups.
Music, prayers, and tributes accompanied a list of more than 140 names that took four minutes to be read out.
Tilly Scott, an outreach worker at The Connection charity, based at the church, paid tribute to a homeless man she worked with, Jeremy Preston.
He died last December aged just 34. She said: “He was a sociable character with a great sense of humour that was often wicked. When things went wrong he would always be able to reflect and apologise. He was so charming you had to forgive him.”
He had really wanted to turn his life around, she added. “He was highly motivated despite the struggles he faced. Many have been deeply saddened by his death.”
Ms Scott read a message from Mr Preston’s grandparents, Joan and Roy: “To our beautiful grandson Jeremy. He was a troubled soul but he had a good heart. He rang us every day to say he loved us. Jeremy loved his life in London with all of his friends and we thank his key workers for the help they gave him. We miss him so much. We will always love him.”
Fr Dominic Robinson, a parish priest at Farm Street Church, Mayfair, said he shared “the fear, anger, heartache, desperation” at the sheer number of people who have died on the streets, “a place where death is never far away”.
He said: “I do often think it could be me on the streets.
“Many people don’t believe that but many of us here today who work with rough sleepers and who are friends of rough sleepers and who are rough sleepers do believe it.
“We could all be there.”
Reflecting on the church’s role in the homelessness crisis, Fr Robinson said: “Some ask why the church should focus on caring for the rough sleeping community when it’s the job of the government.
“The answer relates to how we view our faith in Christ. The gap between those who are flourishing and those who are struggling is getting wider and wider. We need to hold the authorities to account. The church cannot help but be involved in politics. It’s the church’s role to look after our flock.
“This is not an issue to be used as a political football but an issue that is profoundly important to us as Christians.”
Special tributes were also paid to Lawrence David Bradshaw Dodger, Agris Baucis and Christopher Johnson by the Streets Kitchen, Street Storage and the Cripplegate Foundation groups.
Music was provided by the Gavin Bryars Ensemble, Streetwise Choir, The Choir with No Name, who sung Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, and the Alastair Murray Music Group.
