National homelessness charity StreetSmart has revealed that 2017 was the campaign’s highest earning year yet, with an estimated final total of £662,000 raised by diners at over 500 restaurants across the UK during November and December. Founded two decades ago, StreetSmart’s work is more important now than ever as statistics show an increase of 169% in homelessness since 2010. In light of a difficult year for the hospitality industry across the UK, the generosity of restaurants and diners is evident too.
Standout figures from the 2017 campaign include Fortnum & Mason, who raised over £50,000 to provide food for homelessness organisations across London; and Nobu Berkley, who raised over £12,000 which will be used to help those rough sleeping in Westminster. In Soho, the funds raised at Mildreds and Polpo will support House of St Barnabas’ Employment Academy, helping homeless people back into work. MEATliquor restuarants raised money helping projects from Brighton to Leeds.
For 20 years, StreetSmart have had the support of pioneering restaurants including The River Cafe, St John and Harvey Nichols, whilst new participants for 2017 include Mere, Westerns Laundry and Magpie.
Chef patron of Mere and TV presenter Monica Galetti says: “Anything we can do to alleviate the pain of homelessness is worthwhile. With StreetSmart it is so easy and 100 per cent of the money goes direct to people most in need.”
That 100% commitment is made possible by StreetSmart’s 12-year partnership with Deutsche Bank who cover all of the charities costs ensuring that the donations are spent on helping those individuals caught in the trap of homelessness and in the prevention for young people at risk.
The final total was revealed on Monday 16 April at the Groucho Club, where the campaign began 20 years ago. Co-Founders William Sieghart (founder of Forward Publishing, chairman of Somerset House Trust) and Mary-Lou Sturridge (former director of the Groucho Club, hotelier) established StreetSmart after discussing how they could help rough sleepers outside the renowned Soho club.
StreetSmart fundraise for homeless and vulnerable people through the support of restaurants across the UK every November and December. The charity has now raised over £8.8 million since it was founded, through the simple idea of adding a voluntary £1 to diners’ bills. It couldn’t be a more crucial time to support the campaign: homelessness figures have continued to climb and the estimated number of rough sleepers on a single night in England is 4,751.