Appealing to change lives
09/10/08
The Chartered Institute of Housing's (CIH) President, Steve Benson, launched his appeal at his Presidential Dinner in Winchester on 25 September. He is hoping to raise £40,000 for the 'Changing Lives' programme run by the national homelessness charity Crisis. The appeal has also received the support of Minister for Housing and Planning, the Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP.
Crisis 'Changing Lives' is a project that provides funding to help homeless people pursue vocational goals. It offers grants of up to £2,500, which can be spent on education, training, equipment needed for courses, items needed for setting up a business or tools needed to get back to work.
CIH President Steve Benson said, 'It's a great honour for me to lead an appeal that will help homeless people realise their vocational ambitions and return to work. Homeless people face a huge range of difficulties, but if they can be helped either back into employment, or sometimes into employment for the first time, they can become independent and self-supporting again.
'We have already organised a wide range of events for the next 12 months including a Golf Day and Charity Ball. We have also secured a number of places for volunteers in the Great South Run in November, the London Marathon in April and the Square Mile Run in June. Please contact me via my blog if you would like to take part in these events.'
Endorsing Steve's appeal, Caroline Flint MP said, 'Solving homelessness isn't just about finding people a place to live. It's about supporting them to gain the confidence and skills to start rebuilding their lives. Rewarding education and employment is crucial not just to getting people back on their feet, but to transforming their prospects.
'This project has already been incredibly successful in offering new opportunities to hundreds of people, and I am sure this fundraising will help reach out to many more. I am pleased to be endorsing this work and wish Crisis every success.'
Leslie Morphy, Crisis Chief Executive, who spoke at the Presidential Dinner, said, 'We are delighted that Steve Benson has chosen to support Crisis 'Changing Lives'. This programme makes a huge difference to the lives of many people every year.
''Changing Lives' has already helped over 1,000 homeless people nationwide. The success of the project is phenomenal - over 70% of those who have received help are now in long-term employment or full-time education. Crisis also gives essential mentoring support and monitors how the funding has helped change applicants' lives.
'The support generated during Steve's appeal will help raise awareness of the issues homeless people face and enable many more people to achieve their goals.'
Find out more about 'Changing Lives' on the Crisis website
Contact Steve through his blog