Leeds homeless charity launched Christmas appeal

Leeds-based homeless charity Simon on the Streets has launched its Christmas appeal 'Presence on the Streets' in a bid to encourage residents and businesses in the city to volunteer two hours of their time. The event will see participants and support workers joining forces to provide a constant 48-hour presence in Leeds city centre between the 22nd and 24th of December. The event will allow volunteers to meet a 'forgotten' sector of the vibrant city community and help to provide a much-needed presence over the festive season. Participants will also seek sponsorship to support Simon on the Streets and allow the charity to continue providing a service that has proved invaluable in helping to change the life of many rough sleepers in Leeds. The event will also allow for those taking part to hear and experience how time and providing ongoing support has changed the lives of many of the charity service users. Clive Sandle, director of the charity, said: "This is a great opportunity for people to become involved with Simon on the Streets for just a few hours and to help raise much needed funds that will help the charity to support service users in the forthcoming months. "Simon on the Streets provides a presence all year round through the use of support workers, which helps our service users to establish confidences that allow them to make real progress in improving their lives." Jamie Ross, a support worker for Simon on the Streets, added: "A large part of my role is offering support through street outreach which requires time being spent seeking out service users with no formal means of contact. By having a presence on the streets, we guarantee that all our service users have a chance to communicate with us." Simon on the Streets is a registered charity that focuses on people with a history of rough sleeping who have complex needs and struggle to engage with services in Leeds and Huddersfield. It differs from other homeless charities by focusing on those who do not receive help and support elsewhere, providing an entirely outreach based support system, offering emotional support and carries out motivational work to encourage contact with appropriate services. The charity also works at the pace of each individual service user. For more information on becoming involved with Simon on the Streets or the Presence on the Streets event, please contact Clive Sandle on [email protected]