And this year, it’s bigger than ever
The charity StreetSmart, which has raised over £13 million since it was founded in 1998, has launched its annual restaurant fundraiser to raise money to support people sleeping rough. Each year, restaurants taking part will add a voluntary £1 to your bill, with every penny going towards tackling homelessness in the UK. These funds helps a number of partner charities to provide beds, housing, mental health support and training to those in need.
With 4118 people recorded as rough sleeping in London between January and March of this year, an increase of 33% from 2023, and 78,980 households either homeless or at risk of homelessness in the same period, up almost 9%, StreetSmart’s work is more vital than ever.
The initiative is now in its 26th year, which is set to be its biggest yet with over 600 restaurants across the UK signed up. These include London favourites such as Acme Fire Cult, St JOHN, River Cafe, Drapers Arms, Quo Vadis, Roe, Kioku by Endo, Leydi, Julie’s, and Restaurant Moro. It’s a simple and effective concept – let’s face it, if you’re out for dinner in the capital you’ve probably got a quid to spare for charity.
As chef Jeremy Lee says “StreetSmart’s secret is that it’s dead simple. Today, we can feel far too busy and serious to do anything, but with this tiny effort you can end up with a large lump sum after Christmas. It’s a small gesture for a big problem. Hopefully one day it won’t be necessary.”
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Key Information
Dates l Until Tues 31st December 2024
For more information | streetsmart.org.uk