THE Government's Rough Sleepers Unit has done no favours for Worcester's homeless (Evening News, December 4) when they report only six sleeping rough in Worcester.
Not only did the RSU refuse to grant aid to Maggs when I applied for some of their funds to help the rough sleepers "come in from the cold", but they have now produced a damaging report which totally misrepresents the current position.
At the time last week when the count was taken, the representatives of the Rough Sleepers Unit knew that at Maggs we were receiving up to 22 rough sleepers each morning at the centre.
Early in the morning, when we arrive to open the centre, there's a queue of rough sleepers waiting to come in and get warm.
Anyone who doubts this is welcome to come to Maggs at 7.30 am and see for themselves!
This refusal by the RSU to recognise the size of the problem in Worcester does no favours to all of us who work with the rough sleepers.
The report sends the wrong message to Local Government councillors, the trustees of charities and individuals on whom we are absolutely dependent for our income.
I do hope those who fund us will believe the evidence of their own eyes rather than that of the employees of the RSU who have an axe to grind and only wish to satisfy Government demands for "satisfactory" statistics.
It's disgraceful behaviour by the RSU and serves only to diminish their otherwise good work in the large cities.
ROB PEACHEY,
Chairman,
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