'When People Blow Me Away, Again' (an update on #CrisisXmas fundraising with some amazing ￡$€s, again)
Our 2019 Fundraising
I had to add a couple of cash donations to the fundraising, and thought it was a good time to update you all on how we did.
!! ￡2,888.96 !!
Read on for more...
For The Busy (aka TL:DR)
This Bit is a Quite Short Bit.
I know some of you enjoy checking for typos in my rambling words, so I also wrote a Quite Long Bit down there.
In Summary | !! ￡2,888.96 !!
- We raised loads of money (almost ￡3k) for Crisis, because you lot are fabulous. The fundraising page will be open for an other couple of weeks at www.virginmoneygiving.com/georgelondon if you still want to give.
- I was sick and missed a couple of shifts, but my team are fabulous and didn't miss me.
- My team are fabulous, and so are the wider teams across Crisis.
- The Crisis Christmas project is a bit nuts (but also fabulous).
- Rough Sleeping is on the rise again, as is the wider issue of Homelessness. That is definitely not fabulous and I invite you to do what you can, when you feel you are able.
You - my friends, family, colleagues, clients and others - have donated almost ￡3,000 (including Gift Aid) in the past few weeks! I'm going to write that again without using numbers, because it's even more impressive; that's
!! Two thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight pounds !!
(and ninety-six pence)
Not bad, huh? That was you lot.
You are a humbling and awesome bunch of people. Truly.
You Can Still Give If You'd Like To
If you have another 2 minutes (1:53), take a look at the video here.
We paid for over 100 'guest places' at this year's Crisis Christmas, as well as helping fund the wider Crisis project, which supports people out of homelessness all year round, researches solutions, and lobbies government to implement them.
You did that!
For Those Of You Who Have A Few Minutes
(aka the George Rambles on a bit, as usual. Doesn't he ever shut up? bit.)
It's been over two months since I opened the fundraising page for Crisis Christmas 2019. It already seems odd to be writing that... how quickly we adjust to the new decade...
As some of you know, I had to miss my last couple of shifts through illness this year (and the last morning wind-down drinks). It was really tough to miss shifts for the first time in 12 years, and particularly to do so when it feels like you're established into the rhythm of the week and are beginning to make some new connections with guests and the team. But a clean-sheet always comes to an end, and I've been half-expecting it for the past few years.
By all accounts they had two incredibly quiet shifts when I wasn't there, though the team insist that the two things are unconnected. (Of course, they say all the right things about missing me, and I pretend to believe them!)
It's never a completely incident-free week though, and we did have to deal with some particularly challenging situations. Some of my colleagues are still processing those, and I'll use this opportunity to remind them that the Shift Team and the wider Crisis team are still here to support you.
In amongst those (thankfully rare) emotional times, I was prouder than ever of the team that I've played a small part in building. The shift team's experience - and their generosity in sharing it - is a huge part of the smooth running of our nightshifts, from implementing, tweaking and devising new systems, through nurturing newbie and returning volunteers. Our experienced General Volunteers do similar work (and are equally as excellent at it!), helping the new volunteers hit the ground running, starting conversations and games and jigsaws with guests, and keeping the centre safe and clean for all of us.
The project is full of good-natured banter and pride, as each of the 28(I think) shift teams in London (Mornings/Afternoons/Nights at 10 centres and centralised Operations) insist their team is better than anyone else's! With that in mind, it's worth making special mention this year of the cross-shift response at our centre to an incident involving both afternoon and night shifts.
The way that both shifts worked together instinctively to keep the centre safe was an illustration of fantastic teamwork, and for me was an amazing reminder of the wider relationships that have been forged - mostly just with a smile, a hug and a quick catchup when handing over between shifts.
A Bit More (With Some Stats)
We often say that the whole premise of the project is slightly mad; to get a bunch of unqualified volunteers to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society. And yet it works! This year in London, around 9,000 volunteers welcomed over 3,000 guests into our centres, helping make Christmas a warm, peaceful and hopeful time for those who really need it. And centres were also open elsewhere in the country.
From friendly chats over cups of tea to fresh haircuts, housing advice and healthcare, our guests were helped to get the support they need at an exceptionally difficult time of year. For some, their week with us will have been the start of their journey out of homelessness, as they look forward with confidence to the year ahead.
- On Christmas Day, we served 5,625 hot meals (37,201 across the week).
- Our Healthcare Volunteers saw 558 guests, and our Eyecare Team examined 302 people and prescribed an incredible 232 pairs of glasses.
- Our Sewing Teams worked tirelessly to give 715 precious items of clothing a new lease of life, returning them to guests looking good as new.
At my centre in NW London, we were almost at our 250-guest capacity by the second night - something we’ve never experienced before and a stark reminder of the current societal situation. But it meant that we gave residential support and a safe haven to all those guests who would normally be rough-sleeping.
More About Your Fundraising
This Year: Firstly; you were all - once again - astonishing in your generosity. I try not to take you for granted, but I have come to kind-of-expect high numbers, and you didn't disappoint.
Together we raised ￡2,888.96. Take a look at that again. That's almost ￡3,000!
(FYI - that's ￡11.04 short of ￡3k, which is the equivalent of a ￡8.84 + Gift Aid donation, if... you know... you fancied pushing it past that mark... cough...)
That amount is 368% of the target I set and is the most we've ever raised together in one year, directly funding over 100 'guest places' for the Christmas project, as well as the wider Crisis project that supports people out of homelessness all year round, researches solutions, and lobbies government to implement them.
Over 10 Years: Since 2011 when I started asking you to match my volunteering hours, you have made 439 donations and raised ￡19,753.92.
!! That's almost ￡20,000 !!
(That's just ￡246.08 shy of ￡20k... which is the equivalent of ￡196.87 + Gift Aid donation, if... you know... you fancied pushing it past that mark... cough...)
Seriously though, thank you.
The work you've done is invaluable - yes in money-raising terms, but also in terms of increasing awareness and understanding of the causes and situations, and empathy toward those who find themselves in this heartbreaking and devastating situations.
You really are a fabulous bunch, and it's heartening to receive your support every year, and to see some of you join our family of Crisis Volunteers, at least partly-inspired by myself and others.
So, this is a heartfelt thank you from me, and sincere wishes for a peaceful and loving year for you all.
How To Donate If You Haven't Yet
An Extra Bit - Like At The End Of An Avengers Movie
There is a saying amongst Crisis volunteers that "everyone has their reasons for volunteering"; we all get something from the act and from the experience, and we give our time to help some of our society's most vulnerable people. I hope you have already got something in return for your act of giving.
The mistrust and the fear around giving money to homeless people (in both directions) makes it harder for us to help them on a one-to-one basis than some others. Thank you for trusting some of your hard-earned money to an organisation dedicated to helping the UK's vulnerably housed and rough-sleeping adults. And thank you for giving through my little page. It means a great deal to Crisis and to myself.
OK. That's really it now. Go make yourself a cuppa.