Spare Change for Real Change – help the homeless at Christmas
Christmas can be particularly hard for people without a roof over their heads and local organisations continue to work together to help tackle the issues of homelessness.
Spare Change for Real Change supports Trinity and Winchester Churches Night Shelter with donations shared between the two charities, which ensure that the money is used in the best possible way to work towards supporting homeless people. Donations can be made in the 50 red house-shaped collection boxes located in bars, pubs, shops and businesses across Winchester - these are emptied and counted by volunteers.
There is an outreach team which supports the homeless including volunteers from Trinity and WCNS. The team regularly visits known areas where people may be sleeping rough to encourage them to engage with support services. The City Council’s housing advice service also provides advice and assistance to anyone in need of shelter - no matter what their circumstances.
Cllr Caroline Horrill, the City Council’s Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing said:
Homelessness is a growing problem in cities across the UK and in Winchester we also encounter the heartbreaking sight of homeless people on the street. In these cold days it’s concerning and local people are naturally moved to do something to help others they see in a vulnerable situation.
There are a number of ways people can do their bit to ensure they are helping people in genuine need of assistance. Spare Change for Real Change offers a guarantee that the donation only helps those who are in genuine need and directs the funds to support the teams who can be out there making a real difference, directing vulnerable people to shelter. If you see someone who is rough sleeping, do use the Streetlink reporting system to ensure that the relevant agencies or outreach services are deployed to assist them.
We will continue to work towards the elimination of homelessness across the district in conjunction with our partner agencies and so help improve the quality of life for those in need.