Jeremy Swain
1958-2024
Jeremy Swain was a leading figure in the fight against homelessness in London, known for his dedication, vision, and lifelong commitment to supporting vulnerable communities.
In Memory of Jeremy Swain
Jeremy Swain began working with homeless people in 1980, starting as a volunteer. After working in a variety of paid roles, including as a street outreach worker, he progressed to become Chief Executive of Thames Reach. Thames Reach provided a range of services in London to over 7,000 people every year, including street outreach, specialist accommodation for people with substance misuse and mental health issues, tenancy support projects, day services, health programmes and employment programmes. The organisation employed around 300 staff and 450 volunteers, with 52 members of the salaried workforce being former homeless people. In 2016, Thames Reach achieved a top 100 ranking on the Sunday Times list of best not-for-profit organisations to work for.
Jeremy also served as deputy chair of the London Housing Foundation, which funded a range of homelessness-related initiatives, and was a member of the London Mayor’s Rough Sleeping Group, tasked with reducing rough sleeping in the capital. He was a board member of Homeless Link, the national body for homelessness organisations working directly with homeless people in England, and chaired the Provider Alliance Group in the London Borough of Lambeth, overseeing the implementation of major changes in the delivery of mental health services in the borough, focusing on early intervention and personalised, community support.
He was a regular commentator on radio and TV on issues associated with homelessness, social exclusion and the work of the not-for-profit sector, and was also an influential magazine columnist who was twice short-listed for the Professional Publishers’ Association Business Columnist of the Year Award.
Jeremy Swain passed away in 2024.
