WSUP named a Charity of the Year by the Mayor of Greenwich

We’re delighted to share some big news. WSUP has been chosen as one of the Mayor of Greenwich’s Charities of the Year for 2026 to 2027, alongside South London Special League.

Each year, the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Greenwich selects two local charities to support and champion throughout their term. It’s a chance to put a spotlight on the work happening in our own borough, and for us, it means a year of extra visibility, new introductions to local businesses and community groups, and a bigger platform to talk about homelessness in Woolwich and across Greenwich.

This year’s Mayor is Councillor David Gardner, who represents Charlton Village and Riverside and has lived in Charlton for over 30 years. He’s served the borough through five terms as a councillor, including as Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, and for Children’s Services. Over the years he’s chaired committees covering highways, audit and scrutiny, and has championed causes including the London Living Wage and Greenwich’s status as a Borough of Sanctuary. He’s joined this year by Deputy Mayor Councillor Raja Zeeshan, who represents Woolwich Dockyard.

Why this matters

Since 2017, WSUP has been working in the heart of Woolwich to support people facing poverty, homelessness, addiction and poor mental health. What started with volunteers offering the basics, hot meals, showers, clean clothes, has grown into a service that meets people where they are and helps them move towards stability, one step at a time.

Between January 2026 and September 2026 alone, we registered 276 new guests. 39% were rough sleeping at the point of registration, 18% were living in Temporary Accommodation. We provided more than 160 showers, nearly 150 clothing bank visits, over 160 haircuts and more than 50 loads of laundry. Behind every one of those numbers is a person, and often a conversation that leads somewhere further: a housing referral, a GP appointment, a route into recovery.

Homelessness isn’t something that happens because someone made a bad choice. It’s the result of gaps most of us never have to think about: the cost of housing, stretched health and welfare services, and how hard it can be to get help before a crisis hits. That’s exactly why WSUP exists and why having the Mayor’s support this year matters so much. It helps more people in Greenwich understand that homelessness is a community issue, not just an individual one, and that there’s something practical they can do about it.

What the year ahead looks like

The Mayor’s role is to act as an ambassador for WSUP, opening doors to local businesses, schools and community groups, and helping us reach people who might never have heard of us otherwise. Over the coming months, that support will connect into several things we’ve got planned: community fundraising with local schools and faith groups, our flagship winter fundraising appeal through the Big Give, and challenge events including the London Marathon and Half Marathon places.

We’ll be sharing more about each of these here on the website, along with the stories of the guests, volunteers and partners who make WSUP’s work possible.

Get involved

Being chosen as Charity of the Year is a wonderful vote of confidence in what our team, volunteers and guests have built together since 2017. It’s also just the start. Keep an eye on this space and our social channels over the coming months to find out how you can get involved, whether that’s through giving, volunteering, or simply spreading the word about the work happening right here in Woolwich.

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