What is SWEP?

SWEP - find out about cold weather and what it means for people sleeping rough
Cold weather can be deadly when you're sleeping rough

What is SWEP and why does it matter?

SWEP is short for Severe Weather Emergency Protocol.

In London, this is activated by the Mayor of London, the GLA and local borough councils (in our case, Westminster City Council) when there is a threat to life due to extreme weather conditions. This can include temperatures falling below freezing or raising to 30C+.

Simply put, SWEP is an emergency response designed to protect people sleeping rough when they need it most.

SWEP has now been activated due to plummeting temperatures and snow in London.

At The Connection, we will be:

  • Providing extra beds in our centre
  • Extending our opening hours
  • Increasing the number of outreach shifts

    • to help as many people as possible stay safe during this extreme weather.

    To help meet the increasing demand, we are also running a winter hotel to help people through the coldest months.

    But we need your help.

    A donation today could help us to prepare for what’s to come and support people sleeping rough at this vital time.

    Please help us keep people safe tonight.

    If no support is provided, many of the people we support are likely to become unwell or worse.

    That’s why when the weather shifts, your support is more vital than ever. Sleeping rough is always dangerous but when SWEP is in place it can become even more deadly. We need you to help us keep people alive.