With record numbers of individuals and families facing homelessness, our services as a charity are more in demand than ever before.
As a team, we felt this was a good time to tell you more about who we are and what we do here at Simon on the Streets, along with why we need your support to help us break the cycle of homelessness. Let’s take a look.
Who are we?
An independent charity, we’re a team of passionate individuals dedicated to supporting those who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness in all its forms across Leeds and Bradford.
Our charity comprises several different people and teams, including our outreach and fundraising teams and our incredible network of volunteers.
Outreach team
The Simon on the Streets outreach team tirelessly works within our local community, offering practical and emotional support to those who most need it. The team's approach is people-centred. This means there’s no time limit on how long we work with the people we’re supporting and that we’re here for them for as long as they need us.
Every outreach team member goes above and beyond when it comes to providing support. Just a few examples of the things they help with include:
- Accompanying people to appointments, such as medical, housing or employment.
- Securing accommodation on either a temporary or permanent basis. This summer alone, the team has helped 14 individuals into temporary accommodation and two people into permanent homes.
- Helping those we support to settle into any new placements.
- Assisting with applications for benefits or employment or applications regarding immigration.
- Signposting to other bespoke services such as mental health and substance misuse as and when required.
The above is by no means an exhaustive list. One of the things those we work with value the most is the time they’re willing to spend getting to know them and their circumstances. Whether they’re supporting hobbies and interests or simply offering a friendly ear, the team's empathetic, non-judgmental, and positive attitude is the beating heart of our organisation. This summer, no less than 337 people have been offered emotional support and received a welfare check.
Fundraising team
‘I feel privileged to bring my experience and passion for fundraising to Simon on the Streets. Creating strong partnerships across Leeds and Bradford is critical to helping transform the lives of others’.
- Andy Sharpe, Senior Fundraiser.
Fundraising is a big part of what we do here at Simon on the Streets. Every day, our fundraising team works hard to raise vital funds to enable our work to continue and to create crucial awareness about the challenges of homelessness. This involves growing our support network with both individuals and businesses, and we’re very proud of, not to mention grateful for, the incredible community we’ve built.
Many fantastic events are coming up, including our flagship fundraiser, Simon’s Big Sleep Out, on Thursday, October 10th, 2024. If you’d like to know more and sign up to participate, you can do so here.
As well as organising our own fundraising events, we’re always excited to hear from our supporters, too. We’ve seen so many incredible ideas, and we’re always ready to support you to make them a success.
If you’ve got a fundraising idea you’d like to talk through with us, we’re all ears!
Volunteers
No blog article about who we are and what we do would be complete without celebrating our wonderful team of volunteers.
From those who have joined us recently to those who have been giving their time for over 20 years, the support we get from our volunteers is invaluable. Whether they’re helping at our events, supporting on outreach or helping with photography and promotion, every minute they give makes such a difference.
If you’d like to join our network, or make a donation, all you need to do is get in touch or look at the different ways to give section of our website. Now, more than ever, we need your support to help us to help others, and break the cycle of homelessness.