A group of Birmingham based businesses have launched a new charity to help provide support and assistance for rough sleepers within the Kings Heath Business Improvement District (‘Kings Heath BID’). The charity will be launched at the Kings Heath Street Festival on Sunday 8th September 2019, and aims to help rough sleepers, or those at risk of homelessness, by providing vital information and support with finding accommodation, long-term employment, claiming benefits, access to computers and navigating online processes, amongst other things.
The charity, Kings Heath Helping the Homeless, will be the charitable arm of the Kings Heath Business Improvement District (Kings Heath BID). The Kings Heath BID is a not-for-profit company run by the businesses in Kings Heath shopping centre, set up to help improve the business environment of Kings Heath.
The charity has applied for charitable status and is currently awaiting on status approval, however, this doesn’t prevent the charity from raising money to support upcoming projects. The Charity Commission is currently facing a large backlog of charity applications which has resulted in delays in application processes, but with winter fast approaching the Charity Trustees have agreed to publicly launch the initiative and start raising funds for community-based projects in the area.
For the past two years, the Kings Heath BID team have been helping rough sleepers and people begging within the Kings Heath BID area to claim benefits, find accommodation and get any additional support needed. However, the BID team now needs additional support to continue doing this and this is why the new homeless charity is needed.
The charity will be funded by public donations and Kings Heath BID will provide administration support free-of-charge.
The aim of the charity will be to:
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Employ a homeless outreach worker who can give focused support to any rough sleepers, people begging or vulnerable people within the Kings Heath BID area and the roads off it. The Kings Heath BID area is the shopping centre around the High Street.
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Guide anyone begging as a result of having a drug or alcohol addiction, onto a substance misuse programme. This will, subject to finances, including giving financial support to send them on a residential drug rehabilitation programme.
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Give additional support to anyone who comes off their drug habit or is found accommodation and once begged in the Kings Heath BID area. This can include mental health or well-being support.
For more information please visit: www.enjoykingsheath.com/charity
or contact the Kings Heath Town Centre Manager on martin@enjoykingsheath.com, or 0121 444 5166.