Salvation Army homeless hostel joins London Citizens ‘safe haven’ list
The Salvation Army has signed up its Booth House hostel for the homeless in London’s East End to become a ‘safe haven’ for anyone in trouble.
The hostel in Whitechapel has joined the London Citizen’s ‘people safety’ campaign where youngsters in fear of street violence can seek safety.
The citizens’ network of community groups and organisations has been running the campaign since last summer’s riots which spread across London and other major cities.
Booth House, the largest homeless hostel in the country, open day or night, today became the latest London venue to join the register of places offering protection.
The move follows the East London Mosque on the other side of the Whitechapel Road which has already signed up.
“Between them they’re reclaiming the neighbourhood for people,” explained London Citizens’ Tower Hamlets organiser Ruhana Ali. “They are offering a place of safety to anyone in trouble on the streets.”
The Citizens’ organisation is launching its ‘Hundred Days of Peace’ on June 9 in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics—50 days before the Games and 50 days after—to get more shops, offices and public buildings to join.
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The launch kicks off with at least 150 volunteers gathering in Shadwell’s Watney Street market to form the letters ‘peace’ for an aerial photograph to be taken from the Met Police helicopter hovering above.
The volunteers including traders, community groups and anyone else who wants to join are gathering at 12 noon for the photoshoot in the market square off Commercial Road.
TThe photo is to be used to publicise a map listing all the safe havens that London Citizens plans to distribute through schools and other community organisations this summer.
