Christmas charity initiative raises cash for homeless

A chance to make a Christmas wish and help raise money for the homeless is on offer to local people, thanks to a festive fundraising initiative from a city charity.

Exeter CVS, which is based at Wat Tyler House in King William Street, is inviting people to donate money and ‘make a wish’ on their Christmas tree within the new ‘Co-Lab’ health and wellbeing hub. All the funds raised will be donated to Community Housing Aid, a homeless charity also based within Co-Lab.

The wishes, which will be generated by making a donation on Community Housing Aid’s Justgiving webpage, will be written on stars and hung on the tree in the Co-Lab’s atrium for people to see.

Community Housing Aid (CHA) is an Exeter-based charity which works towards preventing homelessness across Devon. Director Stuart Hooper said: ‘We are very grateful to Exeter CVS for their support. We hope that our local community has a warm heart during this cold weather.’

Two initiatives run by CHA are Nightstop and Bay6; projects which help two specific groups at risk of homelessness:

Nightstop Devon provides emergency accommodation to 16-25 year olds in the homes of volunteers across the County
Bay6 works with the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital to ensure that no-one is discharged onto the streets

Stuart added: ‘Co-Lab is a great way for agencies such as ours to get better outcomes for vulnerable people through close inter-agency working and sharing. Last month we provided a record number of ‘bed-nights’ to young people – over 100. Everybody deserves safe, warm affordable accommodation; be they 18 and homeless or 80 and leaving hospital.’

All money raised will go to ensuring that Community Housing Aid can continue to tackle homelessness, in Exeter and Devon, through both initiatives and the development other projects.

To make a wish visit www.justgiving.co.uk/community-housingaid