大象传媒

Charity begins at home - but what about the homeless? Volunteering to hand out free hot food and warm blankets to those forced to sleep out on the cold streets epitomises the spirit of Christmas. But are the do-gooders actually doing any good?

As London councils examine proposals to scrap soup runs, Mary Rhodes investigates the row over how best to help rough sleepers. Do handouts encourage a dependency culture and create a public nuisance? Or are they a valuable first point of contact for the desperate and vulnerable? Is this the last Christmas for the traditional soup kitchen?