Helen Beachell, General Manager for Simon On The Streets, talks about why a collaborative working relationships with businesses is so vital for Simon On The Streets and the vulnerable people it aims to support.
‘Come Dine With Simon is borne out of a whole host of relationships that have been built across several years of networking. Without the relationships that we have built with The Yorkshire Mafia, The Novotel, Black’s Solicitors, Grant Thornton and MCGPR to name a few, this event would not be happening!
Events such as this are crucial for the charity’s continued success, but not necessarily in the way that you would expect. Income is a consistent challenge for most charities, and we are no exception, so clearly the fundraising elements within these events is really important, but it’s not just about the numbers! One of the most important factors in our continued success, is the continuous expansion of our network of supporters. We need to maintain the momentum of raising awareness both of the charity and of those we seek to support, and we can’t do that without an audience. Events and platforms such as Leeds Business Week give us the prime opportunity to be able to do this, and we are always really glad to seize such opportunities with both hands.
In 2012/13 our main income stream of funding was charitable trusts and foundations. This began to significantly dwindle towards the end of the year, as a result of the completion for such funding as a directed reaction to the loss of may government funded contracts for many charities. Had we not then been able to quickly adapt and develop a network within the business communities across the region, Simon On The Streets would very likely have ended by mid 2014. The relationship we were able to build with the Yorkshire Mafia has proved critical to our success and is one of the key reasons we are still here today, supporting those across the region who need us the most.
The business community has also helped to open doors for us in a way that allows us to impact on local policies that effect the people we work with. Thanks to support from Leeds business community in the last few months, we are now speaking with the right people within Safer Leeds and are hoping to advice on the city’s strategy for dealing with issues like begging, going forward.
So, where do we go from here? Well, we continue to consolidate our existing network in Leeds, and take as many opportunities as we are able to expand it. Our focus for 2015 has been to start to focus on building a similar network within Huddersfield, and this has got off to a fantastic start with our partnership with Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium. 2016’s focus is to begin on Bradford, with a goal for each project to become financially sustained by its own geographical area by 2020.
If the measure of a city is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, then we are on the way to getting it right.’
To find out more about our ‘Come Dine with Simon event please click here.