29 September 2026
A powerful art installation at Bournemouth’s Arts by the Sea festival has helped shine a light on an often overlooked reality: women experiencing homelessness are not always visible on our streets, but they are very much present in our communities.
At this year’s Arts by the Sea festival, an installation created by St Mungo’s brought the experiences of women facing homelessness into the heart of Bournemouth.
Pairs of orange shoes, each connected to a QR code telling the real-life story of a woman who had experienced homelessness, offered festival-goers an opportunity to pause, listen and understand a side of homelessness that can too easily remain hidden.
Homelessness does not have one face, and it does not always look like someone sleeping in a doorway.
Women experiencing homelessness may be sleeping rough, but they may also be walking the streets at night to avoid sleeping outside, staying temporarily with friends or acquaintances, moving between unsafe situations, or finding other ways of remaining out of sight.
As St Mungo’s Senior Service Manager for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Sara Turner, told the BBC, “women’s homelessness is real, it’s just not as visible.”
That invisibility can have serious consequences.
The latest Women’s Rough Sleeping Census identified a 39% increase in the number of women sleeping rough compared with the previous census. In BCP, the previous census identified 46 women experiencing homelessness, but the true picture is likely to be broader because many women experiencing homelessness do not present in the same way as men or come to the attention of services in the same way.
Behind every statistic is a person
The stories represented through St Mungo’s installation remind us that homelessness is rarely the result of a single event.
People can find themselves without a safe home following relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, financial difficulties, loss of employment, problems with physical or mental health, trauma or a combination of circumstances.
For women in particular, experiences of domestic abuse and violence can be closely connected to homelessness. Fear, trauma and previous experiences can also make it harder to ask for help.
One of the stories represented in the installation was that of a woman known as Julie, whose name was changed to protect her identity. She came to Bournemouth after fleeing stalking and intimidation and described being “really scared to sleep on the streets” before receiving support.
Her experience is a reminder that behind the statistics are people making incredibly difficult decisions in order to stay safe.
A partnership response
Across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, organisations work together through the Homelessness Partnership BCP because no single organisation can end homelessness alone.
St Mungo’s provides a range of homelessness and mental health services across BCP, including daily outreach to people sleeping rough and Housing First.
That work sits alongside the contributions of local authorities, housing providers, charities, health services, community organisations, volunteers, businesses and people with lived experience of homelessness.
The strength of this partnership is that it brings different expertise together around a shared purpose: preventing homelessness wherever possible, responding when people do become homeless, and helping people move towards a safe and sustainable home.
Working together to make a difference
If you see someone sleeping rough, you do not need to try to solve the situation yourself. There are established services that can connect people with specialist support. Referrals can be made through StreetLink, which helps connect people sleeping rough with local outreach services.
If you need support with your housing or if you are concerned about your home please contact BCP Council via homelessnessprevention@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
You can also reach St Mungo’s via bcproughsleepingservice@mungos.org or calling 01202 315 962
The installation at Arts by the Sea may have been temporary, but the stories behind it point to an issue that requires sustained attention.
Women experiencing homelessness are part of our communities. Their experiences deserve to be heard, understood and responded to.
The Homelessness Partnership BCP is committed to working collectively across the area to improve our response to homelessness and to ensure that people experiencing homelessness are treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
The orange shoes offered a simple invitation: stop, look, listen.
Behind every pair was a person.
And behind every statistic is a life that deserves the opportunity to move towards safety, stability and a place to call home.
