The Chester Bluecoat Charity is delighted to be part of a new initiative, End Homelessness in Chester. The project will allow the public to donate to services and support for those experiencing homelessness through tap-to-donate points placed in the city.
The project has placed two donation points in Chester which collect £3 when a card is presented. All of the proceeds raised will be split between three charities who work with those experiencing homelessness in Chester; Chester Aid to the Homeless, Share and Soul Kitchen.
100% of the money raised goes to the three charities as the processing fees are being covered by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
End Homelessness in Chester is a collaborative project between Chester BID, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Chester Aid to the Homeless, Share, Soul Kitchen and The Chester Bluecoat Charity. The project was established to raise charitable donations in our increasingly cashless society and also to address a public desire to support those experiencing homelessness alongside a reluctance to donate to those people directly.
CATH commented that “We’ve seen a lot of changes in the ways people want to donate throughout the history of working in the charity sector over the last 50 years, plus a lot of changes to the financial assistance received by people in crisis. It’s our job to ensure that no matter what, people have the support, encouragement and the safety net they need to enable them to get through their crisis and go on to live meaningful, fulfilling lives.”
The Chester Bluecoat Charity works to reduce inequality and poverty within Chester and its’ surrounds. We believe everyone should have fair and equal access to services and support and everyone has a right to shelter. Access to housing can improve a person’s health, quality of life and create financial stability. Neil Davies, the chair of our trustees said “The Chester Bluecoat Charity is delighted to be part of the End Homelessness project. The unique tap to donate system will make charitable giving easier and hopefully will raise lots of funds that will make a real difference to the lives of those experiencing homelessness in Chester.”
Share expressed that “Many people experiencing homelessness have complex needs which have led them to becoming homelessness, including mental health problems, drug and alcohol dependencies and negative institutional experiences. The longer someone sleeps rough, the greater the impact this can have on their physical and mental health which will only worsen their situation. Cash donated in kind by members of the public can sometimes be used in harmful ways, so the new scheme is a very direct way to assure donors their money is being used in a well-structured manner.”
At The Chester Bluecoat Charity, we are the ‘fundraiser’ of the project, meaning the proceeds raised are held by us and we pass them onto the three beneficiary charities. Soul Kitchen plan to use funding from the scheme primarily to support the up-skilling and training of people through their weekly cookery ‘Soul in a Bowl’ sessions which have been a fantastic way to build relationships whilst cooking and eating together.
