Idea Store Whitechapel library and the booking of computers

Last night Declan and I were visited for the third time by our St Mungo's CAT – the first time was on 7 November and the second the following night. They only stayed for a few minutes. They wanted to inform us that they didn't have a night shelter to refer us to, but that they would drop in on us again when they have something. We have been sleeping rough since we arrived in London on 3 November. We are carrying everything we own, including documentation. And we still have another 11 days to go to our High Court hearing on 11 December.

So after speaking to the PA to the CEO of St Mungo's, the Private Secretary to the Leader of Tower Hamlets Council, the Assistant Private Secretary to the Minister for Housing and Planning (having emailed the Minister for Housing and Planning), and having emailed Prime Minister Tony Blair – all in relation to the dereliction of duty of care on the part of St Mungo's – what you get is ... nothing. It seems to me that St Mungo's, despite its turnover of £37.2m in 2005, is a pawn in a game of chess being played by the Metropolitan Police – the end-game being to stop us running a network of those abused by church.

Yesterday was women's clothes day in the Whitechapel Mission. At 7.30am I asked a member of staff for some items of clothing. I actually passed him a written list, which included a small description of each item since they don't allow me to see the clothes. By 9.00am they hadn't given me anything and because we had to leave for the Dellow Centre, Declan told the member of staff that we would collect the clothes this morning. The clothes I need are all necessities for rough sleeping, such as a thick jumper, woollen stocks and hat, thermal long john pants and long-sleeved vest, etc. The last two nights have been particularly cold.

I wasn't really expecting much, especially since I had been trying to get a pair of jeans off them for over two weeks and got nothing except two pairs that I had to return because they fit so badly. I wasn't mistaken. I asked for a hooded dark coloured jumper and got literally the opposite. The cap they gave me you would put in a bin if you saw it on top of a chair in a library; somebody must have been in stitches when it was put in the bag. I also got two pairs of woollen socks, thermal long john pants (but not the thermal long-sleeved vest), and 65p Tesco underwear. So much for the Whitechapel Mission offering "the largest clothing store in London available to the homeless". At least I have resolved the problem of my legs being cold at night!

Going to the Dellow Centre has become a bit of a nonsense for me, which is why this morning Declan went alone. I went to the library instead. We walk 20 minutes from the Whitechapel Mission to the Dellow Centre, carrying all our belongings with us. Once at the gate we have to wait for 20 minutes in the cold, and more often than not in the rain as well. Each person in the queue must speak his/her name into the intercom at the front gate, and be registered, to gain entry. At reception, you get a number which you present at the kitchen counter in exchange for a tray and what's on offer. Lately the only thing I have been getting out of it is a soup and a shower – the latter I can get at the Whitechapel Mission. Hardly worth my while.

Things in the library, Idea Store Whitechapel, are starting to heat up. For the last three weeks I have been able to book computers at will with my membership card. There is of course the odd mistake here and there – a lost hour because the member of staff forgot to save the hour I had been given, wrong computer number, etc. Yesterday I was told that the maximum time allowed on a computer is three hours a day. Declan immediately got the name of the manager, and his email address off another member of staff. Today I have booked computers for a total of 8 1/2 hours, although a member of staff had earlier told me I could only do so for a total of six hours. With the library seemingly making up policies in relation to us, Declan emailed the manager this evening.

Dear Mr. Abidin,

Further to our brief talk this evening, I reconfirm that for the past three weeks my wife has been booking access to computers in Idea Store Whitechapel without restriction save yesterday when she was told by a member of staff that she could only do so for a maximum of 3 hours a day. Today she has booked access to computers for a total of 8 1/2 hours, although a member of staff told her she could only do so for a maximum of 6 hours a day.

I would greatly appreciate if you could furnish me with a response that my wife could use in the event of further difficulty.

Yours sincerely,
Declan Heavey

Email to Prime Minister Tony Blair

I must be getting used to the cold because last night my legs were not as cold as usual. I don't think I woke up more than two or three times.

Things have mushroomed at the Whitechapel Mission since the attempted assault on Declan and the attempted robbery of our belongings there yesterday morning. By the time Declan had brought our breakfasts to the table at 8.00am, he had negotiated no less than six homeless guys who had approached him in one way or another – the first one on the Whitechapel Road at 7.00am as we made our way to the Mission.

We left the Mission at 8.10am to be the first in the queue outside the Dellow Centre. Declan was adamant we do a laundry today, even though that meant we would have to wait outside the Centre in the cold and drizzling rain for 45 minutes until they opened at 9.15am. As it turned out, we were 5th in the queue and found upon entry that the washing machines had already been taken. I was told at reception that a place would be reserved for us tomorrow if we arrived at the same time. That's another 45 minutes waiting outside in the cold and likely rain. Somebody must be having a good laugh.

While Declan was waiting for me at reception at 11.30am (the centre closes at that time), the nun in charge of clothes appeared at the front door from the courtyard with the homeless guy who attempted to rob our belongings yesterday morning. She handed the guy a key and a black bag containing clothes. As well as the Dellow Centre, the Sisters of Mercy run hostels and flats for homeless men and women. Declan is expecting encounters with these guys to escalate, especially as we get closer to our High Court hearing on 11 December. I expect that encounters with volunteers are not going to be a problem!

This morning, by internal form for 10 Downing Street, Declan emailed Prime Minister Tony Blair regarding St Mungo's. We of course don't expect a reply, but the email serves to beef up our narrative heading for the court.

Dear Prime Minister,

Further to my telephone conversation this afternoon with Christine Adeyoola, Assistant Private Secretary to the Minister for Housing and Planning, I wish to complain that whilst my wife and I have been sleeping rough in Tower Hamlets (since 3 November), we have been waiting for St Mungo's, London's largest homelessness organisation, to provide us with a referral to a night shelter.

On 18 November (at 4.05am), my wife was assaulted where we bed down at night. A full account of this assault is contained in her blog at http://network-of-those-abused-by-church.blogspot.com/2006/11/assaulted-while-sleeping-in-our-patch.html.

Please would you advise if the matter of a dereliction of duty of care on the part of St Mungo's falls within the remit of your office.

I can confirm that on 20 November I spoke to the PA to St Mungo's CEO Charles Fraser, but to no avail; on 23 November the Private Secretary to Tower Hamlets Council Leader Cllr Denise Jones informed me that my complaint was outside the remit of the Council; and this morning Ms Adeyoola advised that my complaint was outside the remit of the office of Minister for Housing and Planning Yvette Cooper MP.

On 11 December I am before Mr Justice Walker in the High Court of Justice Administrative Court in London for an oral hearing for permission to apply for Judicial Review against the Department for Work and Pensions. This follows the decision by Birmingham Erdington Jobcentre Plus to terminate my joint claim for Jobseekers Allowance (from 19 September) because I did not sign my declaration that I was available for work on 27 September. I was not scheduled to sign on until two days later.

My wife and I signed on every second Friday, not every second Wednesday. Nonetheless, all my subsequent letters of complaint were ignored, including three letters to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton MP.

Yours sincerely,
Declan Heavey