A group of youngsters is asking the public to donate tinned food, money and toiletries to help the homeless.
The collections, which have been organised with support from Bradford Council’s Youth Service, will be donated to the Bradford Metropolitan Food Bank, a charity that distributes food parcels and toiletries to homeless, deprived families and those in crisis in Bradford.
The youngsters, who are aged between 15 and 17, will make the first collections on Friday, 5 August between 11am-3pm. They will visit a number of Bradford Council premises including City Hall, Jacob’s Well and Shearbridge Depot.
The group will make further collections throughout the month and people can drop off donations at Bradford Youth Service’s premises at 1 City Road, Bradford, BD8 8ER. All items will then be presented to the Food Bank.
The collections are being run as part of the Summer of a Lifetime scheme, which is one of 12 National Citizen Service pilots being delivered this year by the national volunteering organisation v.
A sub-group of the scheme decided to raise awareness of homelessness and called itself ‘Streets’. The youngsters chose to tackle this particular problem because it reflected their stance for the betterment of Bradford, and they believe the homeless deserve more help and attention.
Coun Ralph Berry, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Children and Young People, said: “The collections will help to raise awareness of homelessness and benefit some of the most vulnerable members of society.
“They will also help those involved in the Summer of a Lifetime scheme learn valuable new skills and think about the wider community.”
The Summer of a Lifetime programme is being delivered by Bradford Council's Youth Service along with the National Young Volunteers Service, the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust, and local partner organisations that form part of v’s national network.
It is funded by central government and the Council, in partnership with local businesses.
