Sleeping bag donations from the schools we work with have made a huge difference to London’s homeless community.
It’s still cold outside and most of us are fortunate enough to have a roof over our head, a safe and warm bed and food in our belly. It’s a different story for people who sleep on London’s streets. Hopefully, the coldest months are behind us now but we can never guarantee the British weather.
We’d like to thank the Kids Just Recycle team and all of the schools we work with for their sleeping bag donations that meant that we could donate over 200 sleeping bags to the annual Wrap Up London campaign; the winter initiative delivered by charity Hands On London.
They sent us a lovely thank you letter because our donations really have been a lifeline for people sleeping on the streets over the Christmas period, who are in extreme need warmth, food and shelter.
A poll from Ipsos Mori and the Centre for Homelessness Impact, published in April 2021, set out to understand the British public’s perception of homelessness. The research found just under nine in ten people agreed homelessness is a serious problem in the UK and almost three quarters said they believe it does not get the attention it deserves.
According to The Big Issue “The number of people living on the streets in London rose by three per cent during the pandemic despite emergency efforts to protect those rough sleeping during the pandemic. A total 11,018 people were seen sleeping rough in London between April 2020 and March 2021, an increase on the 10,726 people spotted by outreach workers and charities in the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) in the previous year. The figures show rough sleeping has almost doubled in the English capital in the last 10 years. The rise comes despite the Everyone In efforts to protect rough sleepers in hotels and other emergency accommodation during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
As part of the WrapUp London winter campaign they also accept donations of warm coats – and whilst they are not yet accepting donations for 2022, this will open up in November, so please save your coats and jumpers to donate. We will happily collect them from you and deliver them free of charge to ensure that our homeless people stay as warm as possible. There are so many people who are left out in the cold.
WrapUp London bring together hundreds of Londoners to collect, sort and distribute coats to charities and projects supporting homeless service users. A coat doesn’t only provide warmth, it is often a gateway for someone to access vital services to help them get back on their feet. WrapUp London has become one of the largest winter volunteering events in the city and has been running for 10 years. In 2021, volunteers collected, sorted and distributed 17,698 warm winter coats to over 100 community projects across London and since it began, they have distributed over 197,000 coats to the homeless.
Homelessness isn’t always a choice; it is mainly a series of uncontrollable external factors that include lack of money, relationship breakdown, immigration, physical or mental health issues, trauma, grief, addictions and abuse. Homelessness is rarely a life choice.
If you would like to help London’s homeless this year, please contact us today and find out how having a recycled clothing bank or arranging a sleeping bag or coat collection can make all the difference to the lives of London’s homeless.