StreetSmart has recorded 600+ restaurant sign ups across the UK for this year’s campaign to tackle homelessness – the largest number in the campaign’s 25 year history.
StreetSmart has been working to tackle homelessness in London since 1998, via an annual campaign that partners with restaurants and chefs to raise money for homeless charities.
At participating restaurants during November and December, diners can make a voluntary £1 donation when they pay their bill. At the end of the month, the restaurants pass these donations on to StreetSmart, which divides the funding between a number of homeless charities that help to provide the homeless with food and shelter, as well as mentoring and skills training. Close to 50 different projects benefit from StreetSmart’s funding, making it a vital element of the fight against homelessness.
The most recent statistics around homelessness show that this campaign has never been so important. According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the number of homeless households is at a record high, exceeding 320,000 at the end of March 2024 – an 8% increase from the previous year, and the highest that number has been in a decade.
The government has promised more funding to tackle the problem in the latest budget, but the work of charitable organisations and campaigns like StreetSmart is a key part of the battle. In 2024, StreetSmart raised over £1 million pounds to tackle homelessness – the first time in the campaign’s 25 year history that it reached that mark.
Many of the UK’s most respected restaurants and chefs are long term partners of the campaign, including the likes of Clare Smyth at Core, and Jeremy Lee at Quo Vadis, who says: ‘StreetSmart’s secret is that it’s dead simple. Today, we can feel far too busy and serious to do anything, but with this tiny effort you can end up with a large lump sum after Christmas. It’s a small gesture for a big problem. Hopefully one day it won’t be necessary.’
If you want to play your part, there are participating restaurants spread all over the UK – you can see a full list at streetsmart.org.uk.
SquareMeal Restaurants Editor Pete Dreyer said: ‘StreetSmart is such an easy way to really make a difference, and put your donation in the hands of people who know what to do with it. An extra £1 at the end of your meal can help to keep someone off the streets for good – it’s a no-brainer.’
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