From street outreach to sector-wide advocacy, Alexia Murphy shares the path that led her to the top of Depaul UK.
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How did you land your current role, and what was your career path leading up to it?
I began working in the homelessness sector back in 1991, as an outreach worker under the Government’s Rough Sleeper Initiative. What started as an entry-level role guiding individuals off the streets has grown into a career driven by my firm belief that everyone deserves a place to call home.

Over the decades, I’ve worked across housing, mental health, outreach, and the prison service, building a deep operational understanding of homelessness and how systems either help or fail those affected. I later completed postgraduate studies in business management, which helped me bridge frontline experience with strategic leadership.

For ten years, I served as New Business Director at St Mungo’s, where I led the Rebuilding Shattered Lives campaign, focused on improving services for homeless women across the UK. That work remains one of my proudest achievements and taught me how advocacy, partnerships, and data-driven campaigning can drive real change.

When I joined Depaul UK in 2015 as Executive Director of Services, I’d seen how homelessness is never just about a roof over someone’s head—it’s about belonging, stability, and a place to grow. Over the next eight years, I worked with talented teams to scale our services, build new partnerships, and respond to emerging crises. I became Deputy Chief Executive, then Interim CEO, before being appointed CEO in January 2024.

What is the most interesting part of your job?
That’s a really difficult question to answer when you have a job as varied as mine. While I love the strategy and policy influencing required to lead an organisation like Depaul UK, two things do stand out.

Firstly, we’ve been fortunate to receive funding to purchase social homes to be held in perpetuity for people who are homeless. That’s both exciting and sobering—to think that charities like ours are playing a role in bringing people indoors, often after years of rough sleeping.

Secondly, I love working with the young people in our services. They’re actively involved in our governance structures, and next week I’ll be working on public speaking skills with a few of our client representatives. I get a real buzz from those moments!

What would be your alternative career?
Well, I don’t know about a whole alternative career—but I’m an outdoorsy person, and I’d love to spend the summer following festivals, setting up tents, building campfires, and listening to live outdoor music. Is that too hedonistic for an alternative career?

What inspired you to work in the charity sector?
I studied politics at university and joined a small, student-run charity affiliated with the British Council. We raised money to bring students from South Africa and Namibia to Liverpool University to complete their studies during the time of apartheid. It was eye-opening to be on the frontline of helping to make change.

While I was studying politics, we witnessed the breakup of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the release of Nelson Mandela. It was an amazing time of change—and I wanted to be part of that. I didn’t end up in international development, but that’s ok.

What challenges do you face in your day-to-day work?
Funding, funding, funding—is that a cop-out? 80% of our funding comes from the public sector, and we all know what state the public purse is in right now. We’re facing a triple whammy: increased costs, stagnant or decreasing contract values, and escalating need for support from people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

What would make the biggest positive difference to the sector right now?
Today, the challenge is immense. Homelessness is surging—rough sleeping rose nearly 20% in England last year—and the number of homeless young people continues to rise. Behind every number is a life, some still waiting for the stability they deserve and the potential ready to be celebrated.

Yet, I remain hopeful. When I meet young people who’ve turned their lives around with our support, it’s proof that early intervention, creative housing solutions, and personal connection can transform futures.

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