Homeless charity Pass It On’s spring campaign kicks off this week (17- 28 May), as volunteers set out to visit cities across the UK to personally deliver care packs to homeless communities.

Volunteers will be visiting 10 cities including Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton, Coventry and Oxford over the next two weeks, working with other homeless support services and organisations in these locations to hand out deliveries of hot drinks, food, essential care products and brand new clothing items.

Pass It On was founded by the UK’s largest wholesaler of newspapers and magazines Smiths News’ CEO Jon Bunting in 2016 and became a registered charity last year. Since its foundation, it’s supported over 4,500 homeless and vulnerable people across the country – and received over £30,000 in donations.

This year, Pass It On’s spring campaign coincides with the continued easing of government restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic. While this is welcomed for most people across the country, for the homeless community this is quite the reverse; many homeless people who were being housed in temporary accommodation at the start of the pandemic, will soon have no choice but to return to life on the streets.

Jon Bunting, Smiths News CEO, said: “Just when the homeless community were starting to think their life was getting back on track, being given a roof over their heads and starting to feel positively about the future, many of them are now going back to square one. So, this year our spring campaign is even more imperative than usual.

“Over the next few days, our volunteers will be working with local partner organisations in locations across the country to deliver care packs full of essential items to support those homeless people in need. The products included in these packs, such as toiletries, nutritious snacks and drinks, are often taken for granted by so many of us – but they can be hard to come by or beyond the means of those living on the streets.

“But what makes this campaign really special is that these essential items are hand-delivered by someone who is willing to take the time to have a conversation and make a connection.”

Pass It On runs two major campaigns during the year – as well as its spring campaign, its winter campaign takes place in January.

 

Pass It On will be visiting:

 

Coventry & Rugby – 17^th May 2021

Birmingham – 18th May 2021

London – 19th May 2021

Worcester – 20th May 2021

Manchester &  Bolton – 22nd May 2021

Stoke on Trent – 25th May 2021

Nottingham – 26th May 2021

Brighton – 27th May 2021