Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan visited a homelessness hub in Hounslow yesterday as he launched his Annual Winter Rough Sleeping fundraising campaign.

He was joined by leader of Hounslow Council, Cllr Steve Curran and Tom Copley, deputy mayor for housing and residential development in Hounslow.

After the meeting, Cllr Curran raised awareness of the issue of rough sleeping and also praised long-standing Brentford-based company JCDecaux who have sponsored the digital donation screens across Hounslow and the Capital.

Cllr Curran said: "The Mayor has quite rightly warned 'hundreds face spending Christmas on the streets' if substantial support from the Government is not forthcoming.

"It's no surprise young people have been hit the hardest by the pandemic and the decline of the economy and have faced sleeping rough. Many of them under the age of 25.

"There needs to be much more ministerial focus on the plight of the homeless and we will continue to urge the Government to increase support for local efforts to tackle the issue.

"Hounslow Council works closely with the Mayor and the Greater London Authority to ensure we do everything we can to end homelessness, help individuals into temporary accommodation and provide the longer-term support they need for a better future.

"The Mayor's visit to a homelessness hub in Hounslow today, a service funded by the Mayor's previous winter homelessness campaign, is an example of the work the Mayor, local authorities and charities are doing to make tackling homelessness a priority and support anyone who is facing the prospect of sleeping rough.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Mayor for enabling this new pan-London youth rough sleeping support service and Depaul UK - the youth homelessness charity, as well as New Horizon Youth Centre and the Cardinal Hulme Centre who played a key role in the delivery of the homelessness hub mobilised in March this year.

"I would also like to thank everyone who donated last year as your contributions have played a huge part in making this happen.

"I'm also very proud of JCDecaux, one of our leading companies and long-standing partners of the Council based in Brentford.

"They have stepped up to sponsor such an important cause through their digital screens across Hounslow and the Capital where you can scan a QR code to easily donate to the Mayor's fundraising campaign to help young rough sleepers in London not be out in the cold this Christmas.

"The Mayor's fundraising campaign this year will make a significant difference to more lives across the capital. Together we can help a young person facing a crisis this winter."

You can donate online at TAP London.