Donate to Crisis at Christmas Get help Scotland Wales 2010s 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s Welcome A visual timeline of Our history Crisis was formed in 1967, as an urgent response to the growing homelessness crisis. Since then we have helped tens of thousands of people out of homelessness, and campaigned for change. Origins 1960s 1966 In 1966, 12 million people watch drama Cathy Come Home on the BBC – the story of a young woman having her children ripped away... Read more 1967 In 1967 Crisis at Christmas is founded by Bill Shearman. The aspiring politician joins forces with a network of homelessness activists... Read more 1969 A reverse pilgrimage from Canterbury to London known as the Bishop’s March, led by Bishop Ramsay, helps put Crisis on the map. Read more Crisis at Christmas 1970s 1971 Iain Macleod passes away and Bill Shearman ends his involvement with Crisis at Christmas, yet in 1971, 20 volunteers create the... Read more 1972 Crisis at Christmas is registered as a charity with trustees including Ronnie Corbett and Baroness Macleod. Open Christmas grows... Read more 1977 Campaigning leads to the 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act, giving the first legal definition of homelessness. To this day there is no other country in the world where homeless people have a legal entitlement to settled housing enforced by the courts. Crucially though, it denies single homeless people the same protection as families under the law. Growth & Grants 1980s 1981 Crisis is reaching a turning point. The charity’s Christmas operation has grown to look after more than 400 homeless people each... Read more 1987 Crisis and Shelter operate first emergency winter shelters outside of Christmas with funding from the Government, and Crisis takes on its first full-time staff. 1988 HRH Princess Alexandra becomes Crisis patron Innovation and change 1990s 1990 Crisis opens an office in Manchester 1992 Crisis appoints Mark Scothern as its first Chief Executive and under his direction the charity launches its first extensive research programme. This looks into areas such as suicide rates, begging, elderly rough sleeping and the plight of single homeless people. 1994-97 Crisis becomes the official name of the organisation. While the Christmas appeal continues to grow, a proactive grants programme... Read more 1997 Shaks Ghosh is appointed as Chief Executive. By the end of the nineties, concerted efforts to tackle rough sleeping have changed the profile of homelessness and lead to a focus on the underlying issues preventing people from securing a decent home. Crisis Skylight 2000s 2002-04 Crisis launches the 'Skylight' model and its first education and training centre opens in London, providing activities and support... Read more 2005 Crisis Open Christmas appears as a short feature in ITV's London Tonight news programme. Read more 2006 Leslie Morphy is appointed Chief Executive 2007 Second Crisis Skylight centre opens in Newcastle Year round expansion 2010s 2010 Crisis starts developing a presence in Scotland with services starting in Edinburgh. Services also start in Birmingham 2011 Crisis opens services in Oxford and Merseyside. Crisis receives a Department for Communities and Local Government grant to fund... Read more 2012 Significant highlights include the Ed Sheeran-backed No Going Home campaign protecting housing benefit for under 35s. While Christmas... Read more 2013 Crisis Skylight services open in Coventry and South Yorkshire. 2014 More than 45,000 people support the No One Turned Away campaign, calling for a change to the longstanding injustice that sees... Read more 2015 Crisis’ intervention in a landmark Supreme Court case helps improve protection for the most vulnerable people sleeping rough in England. As a result, single homeless people no longer have to prove they are particularly vulnerable compared to other homeless people in order to qualify for support from local councils. 2016 Crisis opens in Wales, helping homeless people turn around their lives through education, employment and one to one support with health, wellbeing and housing at Crisis Skylight South Wales. 2017 Conservative MP Bob Blackman's Homelessness Reduction Bill, supported by Crisis' No One Turned Away campaign, becomes law in England. Read more 2018 The plan to end homelessness uses extensive new research and sets out the exact government policies needed to end it for good. Read more