St Mungo’s Homeless Charity
St Mungo’s is one of the largest providers of outreach services in the country and each night provides a bed and support to more than 2,850 people.
Chestertons has been supporting St Mungo’s as its main ‘Nominated Charity’ since 2015 and the Foundation has continued that support since 2019. In that time, we have donated nearly £200,000.
Since 2018, the Chestertons Foundation has fully funded a ‘Volunteer Coordinator’ to allow St Mungo’s to set up and run its innovative ‘First Response’ initiative. The initiative has been a great success with volunteers dedicating over 5,500 hours to locating people sleeping rough across the capital the equivalent of approximately 1,380 outreach team shifts.
In addition to fundraising, the Foundation also encourages staff at Chestertons to do undertake volunteer outreach shifts across London, giving them a better idea of the challenges rough sleepers – and the team at St Mungo’s – face.
The Passage
The Passage provides services that prevent and end homelessness. It runs the UK’s largest Resource Centre in Pimlico, London as well as operating outreach services, specialist accommodation and an award-winning Modern Slavery project.
The Chestertons Foundation supports the employment of a ‘PRS Project Worker’ in The Passage’s newly established Private Rented Sector (PRS) team.
This team builds and maintains a portfolio of genuinely affordable homes across London for Passage clients by negotiating agreements with private landlords; openly discussing and addressing any stigma that might be associated with people who have been homeless. It then works closely with formerly homeless clients to get them into suitable private rented accommodation, assisting with the entire process and continuing to offer support for up to a year after they have moved in.
Since April 2020, the PRS team has helped 82 clients to find sustainable accommodation.
In addition to this, the Chestertons Foundation funds eight special day and overnight trips per year for small groups of Passage clients.
Ocean Generation
Ocean Generation – formerly Plastic Ocean – is an environmental charity that tackles the pollution of the oceans through science and story-telling.
The Chestertons Foundation helps fund Ocean Generation’s Ocean Academy programme. This provides a platform for educators to access free interactive and scientifically grounded lesson plans that can easily slot into curriculum objectives from Primary through to Secondary education. Designed to connect participants to ocean threats, Ocean Generation’s Ocean Academy provides the education and tools for young people to contribute to protecting the ocean.
With the Foundation’s support, Ocean Generation is able to educate over 40,000 young people aged 5-16 on the importance of our oceans, the threats they face and what can be done to safeguard them.
The 2021 Fundraising Dinner
On 25th November 2021, the Chestertons Foundation is hosting its first annual Fundraising Dinner for 150 people in The Ballroom at Claridges Hotel.
The pandemic has affected everyone over the past 18 months but few more so than London’s homeless. Tirelessly supporting them – often risking their own health as a direct result – have been two of London’s largest homeless charities, St Mungo’s and The Passage.
The trustees have therefore decided that this year, all proceeds from this event will be donated directly to these charities.
For more information, please contact: charitychampions@chestertonsfoundation.com
Chestertons Foundation 