As StreetSmart approaches the peak of their 2018 campaign, the team have been busy with a number of new restaurant partners, December launches and supper clubs to raise money for the UK’s vulnerable and homeless, who need all the support they can as the cold weather draws in.
December is one of StreetSmart’s busiest months and over the past five years homelessness has increased rapidly. This year more than 130,000 homeless children will be living in temporary accommodation over the festive period in Britain (The Guardian, 10/12/2018). This month by opting to dine at a restaurant participating in the StreetSmart scheme which adds a voluntary £1 to the bill, diners will raise funds that go a long way to combating homelessness in the UK.
For the month of December 2018, 120 restaurants started their StreetSmart campaigns, including Claridge’s, Lyle’s, Hoppers and Rail House Cafe, alongside groups including D&D and Hippo Inns (The Signal in Forest Hill). Additionally, StreetSmart are excited to announce their partnerships with Core by Clare Smyth, alongside Cecconi’s, Kettner’s Townhouse, Café Boheme and Electric Diner from Soho House Group. These restaurants join the 609 others already participating in this year’s campaign.
To celebrate December’s new restaurant partners, Mark Reynolds (Founder, Three Cheers Group that includes the recently reopened The Bedford in Balham) visited South London homelessness charity Ace of Clubs to see how the funds raised are being invested locally. Ace of Clubs is a centre based in Clapham that provides food, warmth, shelter to those at risk, and caters for over 100 meals each day.
Ace of Clubs director Sarah Miles highlights “StreetSmart provides essential funding for Ace of Clubs as they pay for half of our chef’s salary, and meal time is vital for the people visiting the day centre. Once people have found us, are fed and feel safe they do start to engage around the many other services we provide, ranging from showers, laundry, healthcare, assistance with benefits, access to computers, education, employment and much more.”
Mark Reynolds says “Three cheers are keen to support StreetSmart; a charity that provides food and shelter to the homeless. For me, it is a really worthwhile cause that provides much needed funds to vulnerable people at a time when customers in our pubs are celebrating and eating in a warm friendly environment.”
Last Friday 7th December, Benk & Bo hosted a hugely successful fundraising supper club, curated by author Alexandra Dudley, alongside chefs Eyal Jagermann (The Barbary) and Masterchef 2016 contestants Billy and Jack, the trio cooked a three-course meal for 40 diners, raising £1500 for StreetSmart. The proceeds will be given by StreetSmart to Tower Hamlet’s Providence Row; an East London based charity that works with people to build skills and confidence to keep them off the streets.
StreetSmart was started in 1998 by William Sieghart founder of Forward Publishing and Mary-Lou Sturridge, Former Director of The Groucho, and hotelier. To date StreetSmart have raised £8.8 million for the vulnerable and homeless and hope to beat last year’s breaking record of £662,000 raised.