‘Impossible things are possible’: the murals celebrating lives beyond homelessness

. UK edition

Lee, a St Mungo’s case study, stands on the street in front of his dedicated mural, which reads 'Lee was here' in large letters
Lee, one of the St Mungo’s case studies and a former rough sleeper, at his dedicated mural in Bethnal Green, London. Photograph: St Mungo

St Mungo’s project aims to challenge stereotypes by narrating stories of people supported out of rough sleeping

In his days of rough sleeping, Lee, 54, recalls the nights that were so cold it hurt. Having lived in North America for several years – including a year spent sleeping rough in Canada – he returned home to London for mental health support, hoping the NHS would be able to help. Instead, he ended up homeless.

On his first night on the streets of London, a St Mungo’s outreach worker came across him. He was taken to A&E to await help in the warm and, in the middle of the night, he got a call. “I’m outside,” a St Mungo’s team member told him. Knowing that help was there, he says, was when things started to change.

Lee now volunteers for St Mungo’s and runs creative writing classes. On Tuesday, a mural, commissioned by the charity, went on display in Bethnal Green. It brings his story to life in a series of graffiti-style words and motifs. Musical notes, a shamrock and a key feature alongside words such as “see me” and “creativity”. The focal point of the mural is three huge words: Lee was here.

It is one of three murals installed across east London, Reading and Bristol, all of which spotlight former rough sleepers – Lee, Tamika, Ray and Lawretta – in the places where St Mungo’s supported them out of homelessness. Each integrates a QR code that allows passersby to listen to the narrated stories of those featured.

“I wanted to give these case studies a voice,” the mural artist, Luke Embden, says. “A lot of people don’t know where to turn and this is a really beautiful way to get the message out there.” Embden met Lee in Bethnal Green after finishing the mural and recalls how touched he was at seeing his life recreated through art.

In the UK, rough sleeping numbers have risen to 4,793, the highest on record. The charity says 77% of the people it helped off the streets last year were not seen to have returned to rough sleeping. The project aims to push back on stereotypes and misconceptions about rough sleepers, focusing on their personalities and journeys instead of their hardships.

Emma Haddad, the chief executive of St Mungo’s, says she wants the murals to encourage people not to ignore homelessness: “They’re asking people to stop and look and listen,” she says. “Recovery is possible, hope is possible, and support plays a fundamental role in that.”

Haddad argues that raising awareness through campaigns such as this one is especially important in the summer, when the UK’s increasingly frequent heatwaves exacerbate the “life-threatening” dangers of living on the streets.

The crisis was thrust into the national consciousness last Monday, when Andy Burnham used his first address as prime minister to promise to end rough sleeping. According to the new government, an additional £340m will be put towards the policy. The timing of the announcement could not have been more apt for St Mungo’s, which launched the installations the next morning.

“He could have talked about anything, but he chose rough sleeping,” said Haddad. “He gets it, and he knows that it’s an absolute scandal.”

Lee says he feels the problem of homelessness is in good hands given the prime minister’s record as mayor of Greater Manchester. In 2020, he vowed to end rough sleeping in the city and, under his leadership, the number dropped from 268 in 2017 to 90 in 2021. In 2025, however, the Manchester Mill reported rough sleeping had increased again, to 197.

“Completely eliminating rough sleeping seems like a massive and impossible task but, as people, we should set ourselves these kinds of goals,” says Lee.

“Impossible things are possible. How we treat the weakest, the most vulnerable members of our society, people who are literally overlooked, does demonstrate who we are at our heart as a people.”