As a charity, we’re fortunate that during the festive months, we are always overwhelmed with the generosity of our supporters. Whether your support comes in the form of monetary, gifts in kind or volunteering time.
However, each year we see a dramatic decline in support during the summer months, and we want to raise awareness of how homelessness doesn’t take a holiday, and what our community can do to help our service users endure the hotter months as safely as possible.
Melissa Blewitt, our Marketing and Relations Manager, explains: “Here at Maggs, we experience a significant decrease in donations each year during the Summer and this can have a huge impact on our service delivery.”
“Understandably, people are enjoying time away, whether this be time off from work or getting off to somewhere hot. However, homelessness doesn’t go anywhere, at any time of the year and our service users suffer dramatically throughout the summer months. Especially with nowhere to go and no resources to help keep them safe.”
“That’s why Maggs is raising awareness for our cause over the next few months to try and keep donations coming in to help us deliver our services. Whether this be monetary, vital items for our Clothing Project such as sun screen, sun hats or bottles of water, or even volunteering with us, all of this makes a huge difference to our organisation. Please get in touch if you would like to help!”
Throughout the UK and on any given night, tens of thousands of families and individuals are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, including more than 200,000 households in England alone.
This doesn’t mean just rough sleeping on the streets or in sheds or garages, this could mean sleeping in cars, hostels, temporary accommodations and many more options.
How do we help?
All of our services remain open as normal, in whatever temperatures.
With your help, we can ensure:
Our countywide outreach team is available and continues to provide individually tailored support. From taking food to peoples’ tents to meeting individuals in our drop-in services, we’re there to build that trust, provide pathways and support people off the streets.
Both our Worcester and Malvern day centres are open, with rough sleepers welcome to enjoy breakfasts from 9am. At 11am, people experiencing homelessness in whatever capacity or are vulnerable can attend to tailored support with anything from booking GP appointments, signing up for housing, universal credit, PIP etc. We also have clothes washing and drying facilities and showers.
Offer warm clothing and wanted items such as sleeping bags, rucksacks, bedding and much more to those with nothing through our Clothing Project.
Our Harm Reduction team will continue to engage people with services to address alcohol, substance misuse and any health-related issues associated with substance dependency, especially over the festive period.
How can you help us?
By donating…
Your donations can help us bring joy to those with the bare minimum and especially vital items that can help our service users stay safe in the hotter weather.
However big or small your contribution is, you will truly be making a difference and allow us to continue our services. Visit our Just Giving page and follow the simple instructions to donate your chosen amount.
By volunteering…
Whether you’re a student or a teacher and looking to fill the next six weeks with something meaningful, or you’re just simply looking for some volunteer work, we have several volunteering opportunities to help us support our service users throughout the Summer. Whether this is cooking breakfast in our day centre, helping in our Clothing Project or even volunteering your skills in another capacity, please get in touch at volunteers@maggsdaycentre.co.uk.
By fundraising…
With summer time being full of lots of events and things to do, why not organise an event and raise money for charity simultaneously? We can help support your efforts in fundraising for Maggs with our helpful fundraising team, event tips, and branded marketing materials.
Steph Maton, Volunteer Coordinator, confirms: “During the summertime, we’re always in need of items such as suncreams, sun hats and bottles of water in reusable bottles to help keep our service users safe and hydrated. If you have any of these items lying around or can add to your basket whilst shopping, please get in touch!”
To make a difference to those experiencing homelessness the summer, please visit: www.maggsdaycentre.co.uk/summer/ or visit our Just Giving page to donate your chosen amount.
