Path Launches New Brand

Path Launches New Brand to Mark 30 Years of Tackling Homelessness in Plymouth

For three decades, Path has been at the forefront of tackling homelessness in Plymouth. This year, to mark its 30th anniversary, the charity is unveiling a refreshed brand identity and hosting a special celebratory event. Developed in partnership with Plymouth-based creative agencies Just Enough Brave and Altitude, the new brand and website symbolise three decades of innovation, dedication, and hope - while reflecting Path's ongoing mission to ensure that "hope begins with a home."

During 2024-25, Path supported more than 1,700 people who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness.  The life-saving charity provides accommodation for 350 people on any given night. Path delivers a wide range of services designed to meet people wherever they are on their journey out of homelessness.

Path’s Rough Sleeping Outreach team engages with people living on the streets, linking them with safety, support, and housing. Through tenancy support and resettlement services, Path helps individuals move into and sustain independent living, while its Housing Information and Support service offers tailored advice and advocacy to prevent homelessness. Path’s multi agency rough sleeping team provides intensive support to help people experiencing entrenched and chronic rough sleeping progress into accommodation.

In addition, Path works closely with landlords and letting agents through its Private Rented Access Service and EasyLet scheme, which open up private rental opportunities and provide financial and tenancy support to those who might otherwise be excluded.

The scale of homelessness in Plymouth is rising sharply. According to Plymouth City Council's latest briefing (May 2025), demand for temporary housing in Plymouth remains high, with about 400 households (including 200 families with children) in temporary accommodation at any given time. Path sees up to 100 people sleeping outside each month, exposed to freezing temperatures, rain, illness, and unsafe environments. For many, winter on the streets is life-threatening. At least 16% rough sleepers in Plymouth are women whose homelessness is often hidden and shaped by fear, violence, and abuse.

Nationally, the picture is just as concerning. In autumn 2024, an estimated 4,667 people were sleeping rough on a single night in England, a 20% increase from 2023 and a 164% rise since 2010. In the same year, more than 178,500 households were assessed as homeless and owed relief duties, a 12% increase compared to the previous year. These statistics highlight the scale of the challenge facing charities like Path and their partners across the country.

Path is a key partner in the Plymouth Alliance, working alongside local agencies and Plymouth City Council to ensure homelessness is addressed holistically - through prevention, rapid response, and long-term, sustainable housing solutions.

Victoria Allen, Path's CEO, who joined in 2024, said:

"As we celebrate 30 years of Path, this new brand reflects not just where we've come from, but where we're going. Every night, hundreds of people in Plymouth face the uncertainty of homelessness. Our refreshed identity is a symbol of hope and our continued determination to walk alongside - listening, supporting, and creating pathways to safe and secure homes.”

Behind the statistics are powerful stories of resilience and change.

S’s Story

For almost two decades, S drifted between sofa surfing, hostels and even prison, caught in a cycle of homelessness that felt impossible to escape. With Path's support, she was able to take gradual, positive steps forward. That journey led to a Housing First tenancy, she said, "For the first time, I feel like I have my own forever home,".

W’s Story

The Rough Sleeping Outreach team first connected with W in October 2021, after he had spent five years living in a tent, hidden away in Central Park.

Over the next four years, the team worked patiently and consistently to build a relationship with him, slowly earning his trust while offering support and pathways to safer accommodation. Then, during a particularly cold spell in December 2024, W took a courageous first step and accepted a short stay in a B&B, initially funded by Path. That moment marked a turning point. From there, he moved into a Path house, where, with the support of his worker he began to rebuild his life. Today, W is looking ahead with hope, exploring new opportunities and working towards securing a permanent home of his own.

These are just two of the many individuals Path works with each year. Their journeys demonstrate how the right support, at the right time, can transform despair into dignity and lay the foundation for lasting change.

To mark the anniversary and rebrand, Path's 90s Rewind Birthday Gala on 17 October will bring together Path's supporters, partners, and the wider community for an evening of connection, celebration, and fundraising in support of Path's vital mission.

As the new brand launches throughout 2025 across digital platforms, community outreach and events, Path remains steadfast in its commitment: hope begins with a home.

For more information about Path and their services and to purchase 90's Rewind gala tickets, visit their new website at www.pathdevon.org