Our Patron

Ken Loach was born in 1936 in Nuneaton. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School and went on to study law at St. Peter's Hall, Oxford. After a brief spell in the theatre, Loach was recruited by the BBC in 1963 as a television director. This launched a long successful career directing films for television and the cinema, from Cathy Come Home and Kes in the sixties to Land And Freedom, Sweet Sixteen, The Wind That Shakes The Barley (Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival 2006), Looking for Eric, The Angels’ Share and I, Daniel Blake (Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival 2016).

Ken Loach agreed to become Doorway's Patron in 1997, the year we were founded. He spoke eloquently and passionately about homelessness at our 10 year anniversary event in June 2007 in discussion with Anthony Lawton, then Chief Executive of Centrepoint. In conversation the issues of hidden homelessness were raised and the audience learned that just because they don't see people sleeping in doorways doesn't mean that there isn't a problem. A young person sleeping on a friend's settee or floor because they have nowhere to go is as homeless as a rough sleeper.

“What Doorway does is hugely important and it's clear from the people who use the service just what an impact it has had on their lives.”

“The work Doorway does is fantastic but we shouldn't have to pass the hat around. We shouldn't need organisations like Doorway. What we should have is leadership and the will to make the changes.”