Donate money to a homeless charity

If you want to give money to a cause that’s helping to end homelessness, there are a few to choose from. And from monthly donations to a one-off payment, there are many ways to go about it.

Here are a couple of charities and donation schemes to get you started:

St Mungo’s allows you to donate straight from your salary, before tax. You can also give one-off or regular donations or donate by post or over the phone
You can invest in a Crisis investment unit. You can also donate from your salary or online, over the phone or in the post
Shelter allows you to do monthly or one-off donations from its website, as well as donate by post, phone, or through your payroll

Help a rough sleeper find the nearest hostel or emergency shelter

There are numerous accommodation options available to rough sleepers: some are free, and some may charge anywhere between £2-20 a night. These hostels tend to be oversubscribed but, when the colder weather hits, emergency centres also try to house as many vulnerable people as possible.

If you speak to a person who is homeless who is looking for somewhere to stay that evening, it can be helpful to know how to quickly access hostel information. Homeless.org has a search engine that brings up all the different types of accommodation open to people who are homeless, up and down the country, from short to long-term facilities. The results also clearly explain which hostels need 24 hours’ notice or photographic ID as a prerequisite for those staying.

Simple things you can do to help the homeless in this cold weather