Destitution in the UK 2026 webinar

Suzanne Fitzpatrick is the director of I-SPHERE. Suzanne is a leading international scholar on homelessness, and has undertaken research on family, single and youth homelessness, as well as on rough sleeping, ‘street culture activities’, domestic violence, and rights-based approaches to tackling housing exclusion. Her methodological expertise lies mainly in qualitative research (in-depth interviews, focus groups, qualitative longitudinal research), and in policy, legal and international comparative analysis, but she has also led numerous mixed methods studies with strong statistical components.

Suzanne’s major research programmes include the highly respected Crisis funded “Homelessness Monitor” series; “Destitution in the UK” for Joseph Rowntree Foundation; “State of The Nation” research on homelessness and racial inequalities for the Oak Foundation and an international evaluation of approaches to reducing street homelessness with the Institute of Global Homelessness.

Suzanne is a Poverty Commissioner for Scotland and has Chaired and contributed to a number of Government Committees including recently chairing the Welsh Expert Review Panel (ERP) contributing to the White Paper Ending Homelessness in Wales. Suzanne sits on a number of Boards and is a founder and editor of the International Journal of Homelessness.

Duncan Shrubsole is Chief Executive Officer of St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity, bringing more than 20 years of experience in homelessness, charity leadership, policy development and social change.

Duncan began his work in homelessness as a volunteer with Crisis at Christmas before spending nine years in a staff role, leading campaigning, research, policy development and communications. His work has helped shape government policy, secure funding and develop innovative approaches to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, including preventing significant cuts to housing benefits and establishing a programme to rehouse thousands of people experiencing homelessness in the private rented sector.

Before joining St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity, Duncan was Director of Policy, Research and Communications at Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, where he worked to strengthen the role of small and local charities and led funding programmes and partnerships addressing issues including domestic abuse, criminal justice, housing and social security.

Duncan has also worked in local government and as a civil servant, collaborating with Ministers on transport and local government policy. He is Chair of Trustees at Switchback, which supports young men leaving prison to build positive futures, and a Trustee of Trussell. His previous governance roles include a local Citizens Advice, a housing association and a school.

A child of political refugees, growing up in Copenhagen, under strict security protection, Mona witnessed political life from a young age, including her parents assisting asylum cases, producing a women’s editorial, political radio and TV broadcast across the Middle East, from their home. She went to an alternative Danish school (‘Lille Skole’), which strongly influenced the critical thinking and approach to youth work and education seen in her work today. Moving to England in her teens, she learnt English as a third language and experienced first hand the challenges of migration, xenophobia and navigating a multi-cultural identity.

As an adult, already familiar with grassroots environments, she decided to understand mainstream approaches. She worked with think tanks, schools, large charities and the Cabinet Office, before taking her insights back to the grassroots sector, including the refugee camp in Calais.

She’s now the director of Revoke, a grassroots organisation advocating for the rights and welfare of young refugees and asylum seekers and she runs the media channel Untelevised, dedicated to sharing stories from the grassroots and exploring possibilities for social change.

Husna leads on JRF’s public engagement strategy, leading our programme on narrative change and movement building. Husna began her career in a local education authority, reviewing pupil and school performance. She has since held senior policy positions in organisations such as the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Care Quality Commission and Leonard Cheshire. Husna holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her volunteering roles have included co-founding the Graduates Forum, chairing the Tower Hamlets Summer University, serving on the Board of Precious Online and Toynbee Hall.