Deputy Vice-Chancellor,

 

I first saw Jasper about 10 years ago walking his child to the same school that my grand-daughter attended. I just thought, wow, he’s tall, and isn’t it nice that a dad is walking his child into the classroom. I then noticed him many years later on Facebook, with a photograph next to a shipping container.   

 

I often see homeless people sitting down in the streets and I wonder how did this person get into this situation? I assume that they must have had huge problems with their family and had to leave home. As I’m wondering how they got there, I have therefore walked past them, and done nothing. I then make the decision to buy them some food and a drink the next time I walk down that street. That makes me feel better.

 

When I next go for a sandwich lunch, I decide to get the homeless person a sandwich too, but I’m not sure what food they like, so I come out of the shop with nothing. Then I feel guilty that I didn’t get anything, and yet again, I’ve walked by and done nothing. I then decide to give them some spare change next time. Coming out of any shops, I realise that I pay for everything with a card, and that I’ve put all my £1 coins in a parking meter, and I don’t want to be as generous as to give a £5 or £10 note. So, while I’m feeling in my pockets to find some small coins, I walk past and again, do nothing, and I shuffle back to my warm office. So, what am I doing about the homeless situation? Nothing.

 

Jasper Thompson, here today, was born in Jamaica, but has lived in Bristol for all of his adult life. He joined the British Army at age 21, and served for 12 years, including serving in Northern Ireland and The Falklands. Jasper was also walking around Bristol, stopped to chat to a homeless person, took some time, asked questions, went home, and decided to do something. He started investigating what he could do, to be of some practical help. His friend had some unused land in Bedminster, south Bristol. Another friend was a labourer, another friend wanted to get rid of an old lorry container, another friend was a painter, and another friend could fit toilets. So, Jasper did SOMETHING. He rallied his friends together, and they installed the container Jasper had obtained onto the unused land, cleaned and tidied it up inside, obtained a bed, and added some home comforts. Then another container was obtained, then another and another. Jasper then formalised this work, and founded the charity ‘Help Bristol’s Homeless’ (HBH).   

 

When I went to have a look at the now 20 containers and a double decker bus which has 12 beds inside, that Jasper has acquired, he was bursting with pride introducing me to some tenants who have slowly gained confidence, feel safe when they sleep, can have a shower, and can step up to make some decisions about their life. The containers look like little bedsits or micro flats, and each one was immaculately tidy. There was a shower block, a little laundry room, and a communal kitchen proudly run by one of the tenants who used to work as a chef. In just three years, Jasper has rapidly expanded the charity, raising more than £50,000 to relocate its headquarters to a new space not far from Bristol’s city centre.

 

Many complex factors can lead to homelessness, and while it is true that these issues need to be resolved to keep people off the street, Jasper and his small team believe that the priority is to get people into safe, stable and comfortable accommodation. From there, they can help them to improve their own lives and reach their potential. Giving people clothing and some food can help people to just ‘survive’, but it does not provide a way out for them. Programmes aimed at resolving complex issues such as addiction are vital, but do not solve the day-to-day problems of being homeless. The Help Bristol’s Homeless charity does not believe a homeless person can make the most of these programmes, or reach their potential, when they face the daily task of finding a safe place to stay. Jasper believes that the best way to help homeless people is to give them a secure base from which they can then re-build their lives.

 

So, what can WE here today do to help this situation? Giving money, time, or help to a registered local charity would cover a lot of bases. Jasper has a small team he relies on, but more help is desperately needed. Maybe you could contact Jasper to find out what help he needs. Perhaps you could give some unwanted items from your student accommodation to the charity? The University aims to be engaged in civic duty, and this charity is a great example. On a bigger scale, maybe you could initiate something similar in your city, or your country? Jasper has recently come back from liaising with people in Manchester who want to start a similar charity, and has also been giving talks in schools so that children can think about the homelessness issue. You can approach Jasper today, or look online for ‘Help Bristol’s Homeless.’

 

Let’s also remember that Jasper probably couldn’t have carried out all this charity work without the help of his wife Tania, who is a midwife. Midwife? I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be pregnant and homeless.

 

The name Jasper has a Persian origin meaning the ‘bringer of treasure,’ and he has brought treasure in the form of a safe place to sleep for many of Bristol’s homeless people.

 

So, to conclude, if you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem. And I’m sure you will agree that Jasper’s remarkable efforts are clearly trying to alleviate the homeless situation in Bristol, and are a key part of the solution.

 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, I present Hubert Thompson as eminently worthy of the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa.