A Middlesbrough homeless charity is expanding its services thanks to a significant funding boost designed to help more people off the streets and into stable lives. The initiative, supported by Depaul UK Middlesbrough, is part of a £590,000 package provided by Middlesbrough Council from government funds to tackle homelessness in the town.
Depaul UK will use part of the funding to hire five new members of staff to help run its Positive Pathway drop-in centre, a safe and welcoming hub where people experiencing homelessness can find shelter, food, and tailored support. The centre is known for its simple but powerful motto of greeting everyone with “tea and toast” before offering practical help to address the causes of rough sleeping.
Dan Dumoulin, Depaul’s Director of Development, said the extra staff would allow the hub to open more regularly, extending vital support to those in need. “We really focus on helping people address the issues that have led to them sleeping rough,” he said. “It’s not unusual for us to have 20 people come in. Middlesbrough is a large town but to have that many people sleeping rough every night is a real problem.”
The team works closely with Middlesbrough Council’s housing department, as well as substance misuse and mental health services, to deliver joined-up support for those most at risk. The new funding, which will continue until 2027, will allow the Positive Pathway service to grow, ensuring that people sleeping rough have consistent access to help and can start rebuilding their lives.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke described providing meaningful support for homeless people as “incredibly challenging,” but said the partnership with Depaul UK Middlesbrough was making a tangible difference. “Our homelessness team and partner agencies deal with some of the most vulnerable people in society and if we can support them to turn their lives around, the whole town feels the benefit,” he said. “This extra funding will allow us to do more targeted and personalised work that gives us a better chance of results.”
The expansion of Depaul UK’s work in Middlesbrough builds on the charity’s long history of tackling homelessness across the country. Founded in 1989 by Cardinal Basil Hume and Mark McGreevy OBE in response to the surge of youth homelessness in London during the 1980s, Depaul UK began as a single housing project and has since grown into a national charity supporting thousands of people each year.
Inspired by the life and values of St Vincent de Paul, the organisation operates on the principles of dignity, action, and hope. It remains committed to practical, compassionate intervention — helping people not just to find housing, but to rebuild their confidence and sense of self-worth.
Depaul UK Middlesbrough is part of this wider mission, focusing on helping people overcome the root causes of homelessness. Many of those who use its services are young people who have faced family breakdown, poverty, trauma, or mental health struggles. Nationally, it’s estimated that a young person becomes homeless every four minutes in the UK, and almost 60% of cases are linked to family conflict or domestic issues. The charity’s holistic approach helps address these challenges through mediation, education, and long-term support.
Across its projects, Depaul UK runs preventive workshops in schools, offers family mediation through its Reconnect service, and provides safe temporary accommodation through Nightstop — a community-hosted initiative that prevents young people from sleeping rough while longer-term housing solutions are found. Every young person the charity supports receives wrap-around care tailored to their needs, building resilience, developing life skills, and improving mental health.
Depaul UK’s influence extends beyond direct support. The charity also campaigns for policy changes that prevent homelessness, including more investment in affordable housing, better funding for prevention services, and fairer employment opportunities for those in supported accommodation. Its work demonstrates how coordinated local and national action can transform lives and reduce the pressure on emergency services.
In Middlesbrough, the latest funding boost represents a major step forward. By investing in people and services, the council and Depaul UK Middlesbrough are giving some of the town’s most vulnerable residents the chance to regain stability and hope.
As Dumoulin explained, the Positive Pathway project is about much more than providing temporary relief — it’s about helping people to rebuild. “Every person who comes through our door has a story,” he said. “Some need practical help, some need someone to listen, and many need both. This funding means we can be there for them when it matters most.”
For Middlesbrough, where rough sleeping remains a pressing challenge, the partnership between Depaul UK and the local authority offers a model of compassion and collaboration. Through this new chapter, Depaul UK Middlesbrough continues its mission to empower people, uphold dignity, and take bold action to end homelessness — one cup of tea and one conversation at a time.
