I have no hesitation in supporting and recommending the work of the charity StreetSmart, which is low in bureaucracy and high on delivering where help is needed. We may not be able to solve the question of homelessness but at least by doing something we, in some way, diminish its tyranny. HOW IT WORKS EASY GOOD Just add a voluntary £1 per table during The money is used to encourage the November and December. It doesn’t cost rootless back into health and happiness you a penny and is easy to implement. and back into society. It buys clothing, This has got to be the smartest, most effective and enjoyable Over the past 14 years we have raised laundry and showers, medical help, social way of doing a little something for homelessness that’s ever £6.3 million with the help of our security and employment advice, shoes been conceived of. Eat great food. Do some good. There’s ever-growing family of participating for job interviews, starter packs for the no worse time of year for people to be sleeping rough and restaurants nationwide. Why not join the newly housed, deposits for rented a tiny numerical adjustment to your bill, one so small you current list of more than 500 accommodation, vans for food delivery won’t even notice, will help. restaurateurs and make StreetSmart and support for the abused. part and parcel of your festive season? 100% LOCAL Deutsche Bank has partnered with Every penny raised in your restaurant StreetSmart since 2006 and its will be distributed by StreetSmart support for both the StreetSmart and Richard Bacon, StreetSmart Patron and Broadcaster directly to local organisations in your SleepSmart campaign costs ensures that area that are helping the homeless, every penny donated goes straight to sometimes literally on your doorstep. those who need it most. Deutsche Bank We can all spare the change if we know has a long-term commitment to it’s being spent wisely. supporting society’s most vulnerable people and helping them secure better outcomes. By leveraging their support we generate even greater impact. Daniella’s Story A victim of domestic abuse and bullying, most inspiring mentors of their group. Daniella was left depressed, desperate and With their support, she is now able to start alone when she moved to London in 2012. a dance course and fulfil her passion. Long-term family struggles forced Daniella “With the generous support of to head to London with the hope of work StreetSmart, SPAT has been able and a fresh start. Following her arrival, she to become a solid organisation was the victim of a street mugging which with the resources to expand left her with no money or ID. Without a support network, she had no choice but to across London, aiming to help sleep rough. 150 people in its second year.” – James Gilley, SPAT Founder The friendly team at SPAT quickly identified that Daniella’s main passion Embracing the benefits of regular fitness as in life was dance – she had incurred a the catalyst to self-transformation, SPAT long-term ankle injury through a dancing (Social Purpose and Time) is an exciting incident five months earlier. The knowledge StreetSmart would like to thank the charities and innovative running programme. The and expertise of the delivery team and individuals, like Daniella, for kindly giving charity works hard to connect homeless supported her recovery, teaching her a safe permission to tell their tales and use their pictures. and underprivileged young people to sport, injury-free running technique. Thanks to New Horizon Youth Centre and the teaching them the benefits of fitness and young people they support, Amber, St Basils, The nutrition and supporting them in their times Since joining, Daniella has gained 15 Cyrenians, FareShare, Radicle, Streetwise Opera of need. accredited qualifications, committed and the Booth Centre. Some of the images used herself to education, training and housing are of different individuals including Eddie, John, opportunities and has since found Mary-Jo and her child. Some of the names have full-time employment. Her courage and also been changed, such as Dominic and Eddie, but determination has made her one of the all of the stories are true. Eddie’s Story STATS 20-year-old Eddie joined the New Horizon Her confidence and self-esteem have grown Youth Centre nine months ago. Referred and she is starting to interact with others by her social worker, it quickly became in a positive manner. She has a long way to evident that her communication difficulties go, but with the ongoing support of New were stopping her from moving forward and Horizon Youth Centre, Eddie is hopeful 65% realising her full potential. that she will become an independent and fully functioning member of society. She An abusive father, bullying and long is still working hard on her budgeting and periods in care had left Eddie isolated communication issues, but she’s definitely + 65% of youth homelessness is caused and frustrated. However, the patient staff making progress. by family breakdowns. worked hard to gain her trust. She soon relaxed and with their support, she was able + Source: Homeless Link, 2012 to face her challenges. Picture: National Portrait Gallery 400,000 2,309 Based in Kings Cross, New Horizon Youth Centre offers Eddie started seeing the Centre’s counsellor counselling, support, medical care and training and weekly and the communications worker employment advice to vulnerable people between THE HIDDEN HOMELESS the ages of 16 and 21. helped her to communicate assertively and * effectively. As well as learning how to say An estimated 400,000 people a year ‘no,’ she began to develop an awareness of suffer from hidden homelessness. These the impact of her body language. people exist out of sight; they’re in StreetSmart are a forward and out of bed and breakfasts, squats, thinking and innovative funder, Her interest was sparked by the IT training on the floor of friends and families or willing to look at the real needs course. It became therapeutic – she wrote sleeping rough. So, despite meeting * of young people. The support It is estimated that there were 2,309 about everything from romance and life to the legal definition of homelessness, rough sleepers on any one night in they’ve secured is phenoenal. the abuse she suffered from her father. It because they’re invisible to the public, England in 2012 – a rise of – Shelagh O’Connor, Director of 31% was a proud moment at Christmas when the vast majority of homeless people since 2010. New Horizon Youth Centre she received accreditation certificates in IT. are not regarded as a priority by * Source: Crisis, 2012 decision makers. Dominic’s Story Ryan’s Story Ryan discovered Amber eight months ago. He was taken back by the generosity and support of the staff at their residential training centre and with their advice, he started to make use of his abilities. “I’ve achieved a lot since I joined – I even Streetwise Opera is an award-winning charity that enables homeless people to make positive changes in their helped promote StreetSmart with a local lives through weekly music programmes and by staging restaurant! They’ve made me feel like a critically-acclaimed opera productions. real person, not a statistic.” Dominic’s heroin addiction had left him partner, my kids, my friends. I was using Ryan is now gaining work experience as habitually homeless. Struggling to get heroin for 25 years and for the first time I a signwriter on lorries and is relieved to by, he was welcomed by the team at can look my kids in the eye. Bless you for finally have the support of his family back. Streetwise Opera. Regular music sessions giving us this opportunity.” Picture: Steve Cobb at The West Sussex Times “I am still fighting my demons, but to became an integral part of the support that hear that people are proud of my progress Amber helps unemployed young people to gain the enabled him to continue with his recovery “Since 2004, StreetSmart has been one motivation and life skills needed to live means the world to me.” from addiction, and he began to feel of our most enthusiastic supporters. independently by helping them find hopeful again. Their generous grants have gone work and accommodation. “StreetSmart has made a big difference towards our weekly workshop for the to these people’s lives. Not only has An unsettled childhood left Ryan feeling Working as a substance misuse support homeless, helping us to give some of the their financial support helped young confused and abandoned. In and out of worker, he now utilises the confidence, capital’s most vulnerable and socially people like Ryan to transform, it care, he turned to drugs from a young age communication skills and positivity he excluded people creative opportunities has enabled us to raise awareness of and found himself trapped with the wrong developed while attending the workshops to and the chance to change. Thank you.” homelessness and engage a wider crowd. Drugs began to control his life and support others. – Matt Peacock, Director of Streetwise audience through local restaurants that he soon became homeless. Having survived have signed up to their wonderfully Opera a drug overdose last year and then finding uncomplicated and rewarding scheme.” “Everyone has noticed a change in me himself back on the streets, he realised he – Sue Crawford-Condie, Fundraising since coming to Streetwise Opera – my needed to change. Director of Amber A Chorizo’s Story John’s Story A dedicated member of Edinburgh “One of my favourite hostel chefs will Unemployed and unable to pay his rent, Cyrenian’s FareShare programme, have a field day with this food.