StreetSmart's latest campaign breaks £1m mark to tackle homelessness
The charity raised the record amount of £1,059,000 in its annual fundraiser that tackles homelessness across the UK, its biggest figure in its 25-year history.
London restaurants including Fallow, The Fat Duck, The River Café, and Manteca, as well as The Art School in Liverpool, Harbour House in Bristol, and Celentanos in Glasgow helped raise the amount with diners each contributing £1 per table during the Christmas period at at total of 610 participating restaurants, pubs and hotels.
StreetSmart has the support of 60 Michelin starred restaurants across the country.
"We are absolutely delighted to have hit the 1 million landmark and keen to thank all the brilliant restaurateurs and their staff who took part and surpassed our expectations given the tough times faced by the industry," says Kimberley Coke, communications director at Streetsmart.
"This money will change the lives of so many facing homelessness and I couldn’t be more proud with the result.”
StreetSmart has now raised more than £13m since its inception and 100% of what is raised goes to help those in need as the campaign costs are covered by StreetSmart’s partner LandAid, the property industry charity working to end youth homelessness in the UK.
“StreetSmart is an integral, treasured component of the dining scene. Each year, the best restaurants take part to help those caught up in the misery of homelessness and it remains a vital, simple way to pay the spirit and generosity of a great meal forward," says Jimi Famurewa, chief restaurant critic at The Evening Standard.
"The altruism of restaurateurs and their diners has achieved a truly great result that will help make a lasting difference to so many lives.”
The money raised will go towards helping the estimated 135,800 young people currently facing homelessness in the UK.
To learn more about StreetSmart, click here.
