Give2 - cashless gifting to homeless individuals

Aim

Give2 will provide a secure way to replace cash gifting to homeless individuals via an app and a prepaid debit card.

Have you got any change please?

We've all been there. 

You're coming out of a store where you've just made your purchases using a contactless payment method when you hear the words, "Have you got any change please?"

No matter how many pockets you pat down to check, and as much as you'd like to be able to help the person out, deep down you know that inevitably the answer is, "Sorry, I've only got my card."

Gifting money without cash

Give2 will provide a secure alternative to cash for gifting money allowing homeless individuals to receive money without cash.  It will also allow small scale community groups and community fundraising activities that predominantly rely on small change put in collection tins next to the till at convenience stores to receive money without cash.

What's wrong with cash?

Nothing, if you've got it, but the LINK ATM network has reported that since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic there has been a significant decrease in the amount of cash withdrawn from ATMs, both in terms of volume and value.  This directly translates to less cash being available in people’s pockets.

From the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 the use of cash has been actively discouraged by the UK government, with contactless payment methods being encouraged as the preferred payment method.  To aid the transition from cash, the contactless limit was initially increased from £30 to £45 per transaction, and from the 15th of October 2021 it will increase again to £100 per transaction.

Whilst the majority of the population have been able to take the transition from cash to contactless payments in their stride, homeless individuals find themselves increasingly marginalised with no current alternative means of receiving money from others.

Give2

Give2 will provide an alternative to cash for gifting money to others, through the combination of a mobile app and a prepaid debit card – the Give2Card which is linked to a dashboard and an electronic wallet with safeguards in place so that the recipients are not able to exploit a situation, and so that they themselves are not exploited.

The electronic wallet and dashboard will be administered by Renaissance: Oldham CIC.

Pilot Stage

To test that the idea will work, a 3 month pilot stage will see the recruitment of 10 homeless individuals, who are already receiving support, to test the functionality of the Give2Card and provide feedback on ease of use.  We will need to purchase 10 prepaid debit cards and a 3 month subscription to the dashboard for loading money onto the cards and to place the safeguarding restrictions on the Give2Cards.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding has been built into Give2 at every stage for everyone's safety.  One of the most important safeguarding features is the ability to restrict certain outlets from where the Give2Card can be used and to restrict certain items from being able to be purchased.

This project successfully funded on 27th April 2022