Help the homeless

Get STREET SMART
It's the season of goodwill. Christmas is coming very soon. You've gone out to a restaurant to have a meal with some good friends. Do you feel a warm glow of satisfaction?


If you do, then this would be a really good time for someone to persuade you to give to the homeless - to help people who are living a very different life from your own, who wouldn't be able to afford the meal you've just eaten, and who certainly wouldn't even be allowed into the restaurant.

This was the starting point for StreetSmart, a simple fundraising scheme whereby participating restaurants add £1 to the bill for each table as a voluntary donation which is then given to homeless projects.

StreetSmart is a brilliant fundraising idea!

...diners support the homeless
Take Action
If it's already operating in your city and you're eating out, pay your £1 and think of the good it is doing.

If you notice that the restaurant hasn't signed up, then talk to the restaurant manager. Ask them to agree there and then to sign up to StreetSmart.

If there is no StreetSmart scheme in your city, contact StreetSmart and ask if you can tell local restaurants about it and get something started

And if you live in another country, this could be a great opportunity for you to start your own version of StreetSmart. Find out as much as possible about how the scheme works, and then get going on setting up your own scheme.

Find Out More
StreetSmart: www.streetsmart.org.uk

How StreetSmart works:
A participating restaurant places a small card on each table which tells diners that £1 will be added to their bill as a voluntary contribution to homeless projects.

Diners have a chance to say they don't want to pay the donation. But almost everyone is happy to do so, and most don't even notice.

The restaurant passes on the money raised to StreetSmart, which then distributes it to local charities for the homeless. London diners help the London homeless, and Newcastle diners help out in the Northeast.

The costs of running StreetSmart are sponsored by Bloomberg and all the money raised goes directly to the people who need it.

StreetSmart started in London in 1998. It has now spread across the UK to 13 cities. In its first seven years, it raised and distributed over £1.8 million to 149 projects.

What StreetSmart aims to achieve:
The projects supported by StreetSmart all aim to get people off the streets, and back onto their feet again.

Some of the money goes to basics such as a bed, a shower, or a pair of shoes. But money also goes to rehabilitation - helping homeless people through crucial stages in their progress from vagrant to valued community member.

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Email Friends
Here's an interesting idea for changing the world.

If you are eating out in a restaurant, why not contribute a small sum to help the homeless.

This is what the StreetSmart scheme aims to do. It is a brilliant fundraising idea! Find out more about how diners are helping support the homeless at: www.streetsmart.org.uk

Get lots of other ideas for changing the world from the 365 Ways to Change the World website: www.365act.com



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Location:NZ