Change Please Foundation

Change Please and Do Something for Nothing are teaming up to help London's rough sleeping population this winter!

We are creating a Direct Impact Fund to support people we meet with their immediate needs, including: 

• Dental care and oral health advice - 60% have experienced dental pain whilst sleeping rough with 15% self-extracting teeth. (Groundswell)
• Banking help with the HSBC UK no fixed address service
• Showers and replacement clothes

With your support we will be able to provide these services plus more in one place in a way that no one else is doing.

 Your donation will go directly to helping those sleeping on the Streets and starting them on their journey to a more secure and safe life.

The current situation

In 2020, the government reported that 4,266 people are estimated to be sleeping rough on a single 'typical' night in the UK. Since 2010, rough sleepers have increased by 141%. Homelessness is a huge issue, not only because of the lack of support provided to those without homes, but because with it, they lose their humanity, too.

And when you’re on the fringes of society, being recognised can mean everything.

During lockdown the “Everyone-In” initiative provided most with emergency hotel or hostel accommodation. This has now largely ended which has meant a rise in people experiencing homelessness.

• 82% rise in 18 – 25 year olds sleeping rough (Greater London Authority)
• 11,018 people were seen sleeping rough in London during 2021/22, a 3% increase compared to the previous year’s figures. (GLA CHAIN data)
• The loss of jobs and tenancies are causing an increase in London’s rough sleeping population 

About Do Something for Nothing:  

In 2015, while working at a hair salon, Joshua Coombes took to the streets with his scissors to build relationships and offer haircuts to men and women experiencing homelessness. He began posting transformative images on social media to amplify the voices of those he met and other people began to get involved in their own way. #DoSomethingForNothing was born - a movement that encourages people to connect their skills and time to those who need them. Today, Joshua continues his efforts, working on the streets in new cities, shining a light on the issue of homelessness globally, and pushing for a better level of care for the most vulnerable.

Across the world, people have joined in with Do Something For Nothing as a way to express their humanity; yoga instructors volunteering in rehabilitation centres, students spending time to have lunch with senior citizens who don’t have a family to visit them, neighbours helping one another with their shopping bags. We all need a reminder of our common humanity.

About Change Please Foundation (1177958) and Driving for Change

Change Please Foundation launched in April 2018 with a simple mission of addressing the rise in homelessness through employment, training and housing support.

Driving for Change is the amazing new initiative which we launched in October 2021. We are taking services. We have converted two of London’s iconic double decker buses into state-of-the art facilities. These will provide direct services to London’s homeless population that are simple, straightforward, and easily accessible.

This one-stop solution is a vital offering that will give people experiencing homelessness pathways to potentially life-saving key services that centralise support. In addition to the multiple services Driving For Change is providing, we are in talks with the NHS to provide vaccinations against COVID-19 on the buses for rough sleepers.