I help people sleeping rough. Summer heat scares me more than anything

For most of us, coping during a heatwave means drastically switching up our routine. We stick to the shade, station ourselves next to a fan, and have plenty of cold showers and icy drinks. Even with access to all these things, staying cool is still a challenge.

Now, imagine it’s 33°C. Alex is desperate to get out of the sun, but has nowhere else to go. He’s exhausted and thirsty but getting something to drink means knowing where to find free water. The pharmacy four miles away has the medication he needs to manage his heart condition, but now all the buses are cancelled and there is no way of getting there before it shuts.

Usually, he would go and sit in the library for a bit of respite from the elements, but as it’s so dangerously hot today, it has had to close. The heat is relentless, and Alex has a thumping headache. With every passing hour, he feels more disorientated.

For many of us, a heatwave is uncomfortable. For someone sleeping rough, it can be fatal.

St Mungo’s Outreach teams have met countless people like Alex this summer, who are trying to survive in similarly life-threatening circumstances. Accessing the resources to cool down is almost impossible on the streets, but there are also additional challenges. People sleeping rough are more likely to have physical or mental health conditions which become worse in high temperatures. If they cannot get to appointments or access vital medical care, these issues can quickly spiral and become more serious.

Our teams are prepared to respond, but this summer's heat has been particularly unrelenting, and we are already bracing for the fourth heatwave of the year. While our frontline teams are out on the streets every single day and night of the year, come rain or shine, during periods of extreme heat, our work becomes even more critical.

Our number one priority is identifying and finding the people at highest risk of heat-related illness or complications. We search the streets to find them and do everything that we can to make sure they are safe and have access to life-saving resources. We distribute useful supplies such as suncream, water, electrolytes and protective clothing while we are out on shift.

In partnership with Local Authorities, we are also able to open cool spaces, access additional emergency accommodation for the most at-risk people we support and put on extra shifts when emergency measures are activated.

Unlike winter, when we can wrap up in warm clothing to protect ourselves from the cold, severe heat adversely affects our teams, who are carrying out physical and demanding work in difficult conditions. We make sure teams are trained to recognise the early signs of heat-related illness and adapt shift patterns to go out in the cooler parts of the day. This helps us reach as many people as possible, but because this level of heat is dangerous for even healthy people in the general population, it keeps us safe, too.

Readers can also play a vital role in supporting people who are sleeping rough. Volunteering and donating to homelessness charities such as St Mungo’s enables us to reach as many people as possible. You can also help directly by looking out for people in your local community and offering water, suncream, and electrolytes. You can also refer people who are rough sleeping to their nearest local Outreach team by visiting StreetLink. If you are concerned about somebody’s safety, call 999.

The realities of homelessness are often misunderstood, whatever the season. That's why this summer we're sharing the stories of four people who have recovered from homelessness, with support from St Mungo's.

Across London, Bristol and Reading, new murals by the street artist Luke Embden feature the stories of Lee, Lawretta, Ray and Tamika, and shine a light on the people behind the statistics. Their stories show both the challenges people face, and the difference that outreach services, accommodation and specialist support can make.

As temperatures continue to rise, and heatwaves become more common, it's vital that people sleeping rough are not forgotten. They need your support in summer too.

Visit our website to hear Lee, Lawretta, Ray and Tamika's stories, and learn more about our work. The murals can be found on Bethnal Green Road, London, Stokes Croft, Bristol and King Street, Reading, for a limited time only.

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Claire Hopkins is Head of Specialist Rough Sleeping Services at St Mungo’s.

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