Dominic West is appointed as ambassador for Julian House on World Homelessness Day
Renowned actor Dominic West has been appointed as ambassador for Bath-based charity Julian House, which provides support for people who are homeless, vulnerable or experiencing social exclusion in Bath and across the South West.
Julian House is delighted to announce the appointment of renowned actor Dominic West as its new ambassador. The announcement comes in time for World Homelessness Day (October 10, 2024), marking a significant moment in the charity’s ongoing efforts to support individuals affected by homelessness and social exclusion.
He recently visited the emergency shelter on Manvers Street and one of Julian House’s refuges for survivors of domestic violence. During these visits, West was able to get to know the clients to understand their experiences and stories and learn more about the support they receive at Julian House.
‘I find homelessness a particularly emotive subject,’ says Dominic, commenting on his new role, ‘and I have worked for a homelessness charity in Dublin. I moved to Bath five years ago and it’s not the sort of place you would expect to see the problem of homelessness, so it is rather shocking seeing this extent of the issue in a prosperous place like Bath. I think the shock of that and seeing what great work Julian House does, made me want to do something to help if I can.’
This year, World Homelessness Day comes at a time when homelessness and rough sleeping nationally and across the South West is rising sharply, with a 25% increase seen in Bath (Rough sleeping snapshot in England: autumn 2023 – www.gov.uk). So far, in 2024, Julian House has delivered in-depth support to 141 people who were forced to sleep rough in Bath and provided short-term accommodation to 106 people at the emergency shelter in Manvers.
