Restaurants and hotels raise £551k for homeless charity StreetSmart

The latest campaign, which ran in November and December last year, saw 580 restaurants and hotels in the UK add £1 to each customer, or guest's bill. 

Restaurants involved included Polpo, Angela Hartnett's Murano, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and The Kitchin in Edinburgh. 

StreetSmart's campaign with the hospitality industry to raise money to help homeless people rebuild their lives, has raised £7.4m since it started in 1998. 

“Every year StreetSmart grows as more and more restaurants catch onto the simplicity and splendour of the idea. Britain is enriched by the quality of its restaurants, and now the restaurateur, chefs and their patrons are helping to enrich the lives of those caught in the misery of homelessness," said StreetSmart supporter Stephen Fry. 

Most of the money raised goes towards addressing the root issues of homelessness, while a portion of the funds raised are spent on emergency needs for rough sleepers, including winter shelters and food and clothing. 

The charity's nine-year partnership with Deutsche Bank led to the creation of the company's youth engagement programmed Born to Be in 2013 which aims to break the cycle of youth unemployment and prevent people becoming homeless in the first place. 

Lareena Hilton, global head of brand communications and corporate citizenship, Deutsche Bank, said: “It is fantastic to see the amount raised to date, knowing that it supports some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”