Who are we?
Spires is a South London based charity that supports homeless and vulnerably housed people in our local communities. For the past 30 years, Spires has been a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in South London. Our mission is to support people in their time of crisis before they become homeless, as well as supporting those experiencing homelessness into securing and maintaining accommodation.
Our support workers typically first meet people during our weekday breakfast service, open to anyone in need. Warm food & drinks are provided, while food parcels, toiletries and clothing are also often available to each client. For some people this may be the only chance of a nutritious hot meal, as well as an opportunity to get clothing or hygiene supplies.
Impact
Spires works with some of the most isolated and vulnerable in society, who are facing multiple disadvantages and deprivation. Specifically, our clients are homeless or have insecure accommodation, but also face complex issues such as financial pressure and substance addiction. Many of our clients also present with physical or mental health concerns, due to a pre-existing condition or a response to current circumstances.
Last year we supported:
- 102 people into housing.
- 67 people to avoid eviction.
Our support involves more than housing. Everyone who comes to the Spires centre is offered a warm welcome and a space to breath and re-connect. We’ll be serving 4,000 hot meals this year. We recently were Highly Commended by Homeless Link as part of their Excellence Awards.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Homelessness has been on the rise across London, we have seen a 20% increase over the past year of people reaching crisis point and coming to Spires for support. While demand for our services is increasing, we’re facing increasing financial pressure relating to the cost-of-living crisis and more competition for our usual sources of income.
To keep the centre open, we need to raise £600,000 in the coming year. To achieve this, we need to raise an additional £20,000 from community donations. We would be most grateful if you would consider making a contribution or share our plea to support our work at a most crucial time.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Whilst we rely heavily on donations from schools, churches and various food distribution groups and go to great lengths to reduce food waste by utilising these, the donations can be unpredictable are not always sufficient to cover the needs of our clients. Where necessary, we will buy the missing items – including speciality food or hygiene items catering to allergies, medical or dietary requirements , which are often more expensive. We have also had a reduction in donations of certain essential items. The money raised would help to cover these costs and allow us to continue meeting the needs of our clients.