BVSC staff are getting behind the homeless initiative, Change into Action, this festive season. The Fund is an alternative giving scheme that allows monetary donations to personally benefit a person sleeping rough, or facilitate a change in a person’s circumstances to prevent them sleeping rough.

Change into Action is overseen and managed by West Midlands Combined Authority and each local authority in the WM region has its own version. Donations are processed through JustGiving and are held and administered by BVSC which is why our staff team feel it's a great charity to get behind over the festive season and beyond. You can donate via the following link:

Donate

Become a delivery partner

Organisations can apply to become delivery partners (It’s a quick form!) and then once accepted can start making applications on an individual’s behalf straight away. Some examples of the funding being used include:

  • A rent deposit for a private flat
  • New clothing to fit and give confidence to an individual
  • Basic kitchen items when moving into self- catering accommodation
  • Passport to be used as photographic ID

Applications are assessed by a responsive panel of local businesses and key stakeholders across the city. There are around 30 delivery partners at the minute and with the lead up to Christmas, Change into Action are making a huge effort to get more organisations signed up so the fund can be utilised, and also publicise the fund to get more donations coming in to ultimately help more people rough sleeping.

If you want to find more information out around this, please see the website here: https://changeintoaction.org.uk/ or email Ailish Whitehouse, Rough Sleeper Initiative Project Lead. Email [email protected]

Become a delivery partner

Have you seen someone sleeping rough?

You can help Birmingham's specialist teams to help rough sleepers by letting them know the whereabouts of people you think are rough sleeping. You can do this by using StreetLink - a location application that sends the precise location of the person needing attention to outreach teams

1. Locate a person sleeping rough who needs help

2. Click 'Locate with StreetLink' below

3. Type in the street name or postcode of their exact location into StreetLink

4. Opt in to be kept updated on the information you have provided

Locate with Streetlink