Framework's Winter Appeal Raises £232,000 to Support Work with Homeless People

Framework have announced that their Winter appeal has raised almost £232,000, smashing their anticipated target of £60,000. Launched last October and running to the end of January, the appeal focused on raising funds to support work to end homelessness by tackling rough sleeping – preventing people sleeping rough, supporting people on the streets, and helping people to resettle into accommodation. 

Levels of rough sleeping have increased significantly in recent months, with about two new rough sleepers appearing on the streets of Nottingham each week, and nearly two out of every three people sleeping rough for the first time. 

The general public contributed to the cause in a number of ways, as Framework saw donations - both online and via the post - come from 1,043 people from as far afield as Australia. 

As part of the appeal, the Homeless to Home Challenge - which took place throughout November - saw 72 individuals and groups clock up more than 4,100 miles in personal and team walking, running and cycling challenges. They attracted a total of £23,721 from 786 sponsorship donations. A total of 33 businesses and organisations supported the Homeless to Home appeal and contributed £58,000.  They were led by Nottingham Building Society who alone contributed £20,000, including £10,000 which was used as match funding over the Black Friday weekend at the end of November. This match attracted a further £15,000 in donations.

DHP Family headed the Homeless to Home Challenge team leaderboard with £10,098 raised.  In addition DHP staff held a variety of fundraising activities to replace their Beat the Streets Festival which would have taken place at the end of January: they raised a further £7,702 from their Raffle and Crowdfunder events to make a total of £17,800. Other notable corporate contributions came from Nottingham Forest: the combined contribution to the Challenge event raised by the Forest Academies was £7,290.

Us lot even got involved, with our combined December/January magazine seeing LeftLion team-up with Framework for a takeover issue featuring an extensive, eclectic exploration of Nottingham's homelessness and the work Framework does to tackle it. Working closely with the Notts charity, we dedicated a large portion of the magazine to the subject, including articles celebrating 20 Years of Framework, asking Is Giving Always Good?, looking at the disproportionate number of ex-armed forces veterans who find themselves rough sleeping, looking at 24-hours in the life of an Outreach Worker, exploring the unique problems facing homeless women and looking at the impact of fundraising events like Beat the Streets and the Big Sleep Out. 

“In the winter months, and especially around Christmas, public concern for those less fortunate and particularly for people who are homeless is always evident," Claire Eden, Framework’s Head of Fundraising and Communications, said.  “However on this occasion individuals, families, community groups, churches, businesses, charitable trusts and others opened their hearts and their wallets in an overwhelming display of concern and generosity in response to our request for help.  This followed a similarly generous response to our COVID-19 appeal earlier in the spring.  We are most grateful for this continued support which demonstrates the public’s appreciation of the extra need to look out for homeless and vulnerable people during the pandemic."

The funds raised will be used in a number of ways to help support Framework's work with homeless people, including:

• £37,000 to provide additional resources to support the work of Framework’s street outreach teams working with rough sleepers in Nottingham and across Nottinghamshire at a time when the number of rough sleepers is increasing
• £75,000 to provide a clinical psychologist to help homeless people with complex needs in Nottingham 
  
  
• £35,000 to contribute to the funding of a clinical psychologist to work with teams helping young people in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to address their mental health issues
  
  
• £60,000 to bring the expertise of a clinical psychologist to work with Framework’s teams supporting homeless people across Lincolnshire
  
  
• £25,000 to support the work of Framework’s street outreach team in Sheffield

“The focus of the winter appeal was on ending homelessness by tackling rough sleeping – not just supporting people on the streets but helping them off the streets into accommodation and preventing people ending up on the streets in the first place," Eden continues. “The public’s unprecedented response will enable several important initiatives which will contribute to that work across Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire in the coming year. There is a strong emphasis on helping to tackle mental health issues which are significant both as a cause and a consequence of rough sleeping.”

Framework’s Chief Executive Andrew Redfern concluded, “On behalf of everyone at Framework, and all of those who will benefit from the public’s generosity, I wish to express our gratitude. To everyone who took part and supported our 2020/’21 Winter Appeal, I give a sincere ‘Thank you’. The resources provided by the appeal are crucial in enabling us to help those who can’t be reached by statutory provision, in ways that meet their individual needs. You can be confident that we will use them well in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, for the rest of the winter and beyond.” 

A complete list of organisations who supported the winter appeal can be found on the Framework website