Evolve Housing + Support kicked off our new series of Connecting Comes to You sessions in January, with a presentation and discussion about how a homelessness and support charity based in and around London work with 2,000 people each year
One of the things they talked about was how we in DHSC could support their fundraising activities – supporting such a small charity can have a huge impact on the work they are able to provide for vulnerable homeless people in London, but more on that later…….
What are Evolve Housing +Support? They provide supported housing for homeless young people and adults with a range of support needs in the London Boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Bromley, Merton, Wandsworth and the Royal Boroug
hs of Kensington & Chelsea and Kingston-Upon-Thames.
Evolve also provide Work + Learning, Health + Wellbeing services, and a homelessness prevention service in schools through mentoring – all of which they have to fundraise for. These support services are incredibly important to the homeless people Evolve work with and have allowed them to achieve positive move on rates of around 76%.
Staff members, along with some of the homeless people living within their services (known as customers), came in to present to us and gave a clear picture of what Evolve do and more importantly, why. The customers also spoke about their experiences of homelessness, their time at Evolve and their aspirations for the future.
If you are interested in seeing the slides from their presentation, or spending a day with the organisation as part of a Connecting placement, then do get in touch with the Connecting team here.
We also heard from Jazz, Evolve’s Community and Challenge Events Fundraiser, who outlined the funding needed in order for these vital services to be provided. The fundraising team have to raise £700,000 each year, otherwise, these support services simply could not be run.
So the question is, are you looking for a fundraising opportunity? Can you help them meet their target? “Something as simple as a bake sale, as crazy as a sponsored sky dive or anything in-between! I can support you with any ideas you have” says Jazz,” and I have some suggestions for how you could do this in the office such as:
- A day or 3 day smoothie/juice challenge
- Step challenge – 10,000 a day?
- Office Quiz - email out and results shared a week later
- Bring & Buy sale
- Dress down… Friday?
Or why not take part in one of our challenge events? Vitality London 10k run through London on 28 May or the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 14 October.
Whatever it may be that you’d like to do within your teams, at home or within the whole office – I will support and provide plenty of encouragement!
Your support would mean a huge amount for us, we are a small team that are determined to make a big impact with the help of our supporters – without people like yourselves getting involved with our work we would not be able to make the difference we make to homeless people in London. ”
Jasmine Jappy, Community Fundraiser.
Interested, or need more information? Get in touch with Jazz for further information, ideas or volunteering opportunities – jasmine.jappy@evolvehousing.org.uk.
If fundraising isn’t for you but you would like to do your bit, feel free to donate directly –
https://www.justgiving.com/EvolveLDN
The next Connecting Comes to You session will explore the issues of policy-centred care in policy and practice through a stakeholder's lens, led by National Voices. You can view their website here. This will take place on 19 April in Victoria Street with video links to Leeds and Burnley. You can book a place on the event here