Homeless Winter Care Kits

What we're doing:

Putting together winter care kits to be handed out in cities with high instances of homelessness; particularly London.

What you can do:

- Donate funds. I am buying the items and creating as many of these kits as possible but they cost roughly £6 each to make, and we want as many as possible.
- Donate items. There's a list at the bottom of the page detailing what items are going into the package and where you can send these. Whether you buy them or make them (knitting hats for example) everything helps.
- Hand out packages. Get in touch if you want to hand our packages out in your city/town. Email to be sent some.
- Make your own packages to hand out. Again, see the list at the bottom of the page for what to include.

Tweet me @UpAndGeorgia or email to let me know how you're helping!

A bit more detail:

I think we can all agree that it's got bloody cold, bloody quickly.

I floated this idea a few weeks back, so let's see how it goes.

In 2015 Government statistics showed that 3,569 people slept rough on any one night across England - this is over double the number counted in 2010
Local agencies report 8,096 people slept rough in London alone throughout 2015/16 - A six per cent rise on the previous year, and more than double the figure of 3,673 in 2009/10

Whilst we can go back to our warm houses, make a cuppa and throw on a clean jumper, thousands of people are living on the streets, sleeping in and out of hostels and begging for change.

And I know we're hesitant with handing money straight over to strangers; there's no guarantee it's going anywhere good, even inasmuch as nutrition. I bought a guy lunch a month back and all he wanted was an energy drink and some pork scratchings - not particularly nutritional!

So I had the idea, as I'm certain many have before me, to put together some care packages to help them through the winter months.

They're by no means a quick fix. Homelessness in this country requires more than a bag of toiletries and a hat. But we can do the best we can to keep these humans as clean, warm, dry and healthy as possible.

It's also important to note that various charities run tiplines for the locations of rough sleepers during the winter months and endeavour to help as many as possible. I'll update this page with details asap.

What we need:

Kits will include the following items, if you'd like to buy these to have them delivered to me, email. Alternatively, let me know if you're putting some together yourself. Where possible go for travel size.

- Gloves, hats and/or scarves
- Anti-bac gel
- Roll-on Deodorant
- Wet wipes (travel size)
- Tissues (travel size)
- Protein bars
- Travel toothbrush/paste (preferably with a case)
- Sanitary towels/tampons
- Bottled water
- Vitamin C tablets
- pac-a-macs
- pen, paper, envelopes, stamps (in case they want to write home) 
- Hairbrushes/Combs
- Vaseline/Carmex/Lip balm
- Rucksacks/Sportsbags
- Hand Lotion
*this list will be updated soon*

If you're handing these packages out - try to have a conversation when you do. These are human beings, and they're cold and lonely and they don't know if or when their life will get back on track. Speak to them like human beings.

(nb. please be careful and avoid going out on your own or at night, don't put yourself in danger)

email on [email redacted]
Join the conversation on Twitter #WinterSurvival