03 July 2017
St Mungo’s has partnered with social technology company Alice to help people sleeping rough in London.
A fundraising appeal for St Mungo’s on Alice.si – Street Impact 15 Lives – is run on a new online platform which is one of the first of its kind to use blockchain technology in the charity sector.
The appeal aims to raise around £50,000 to help lift 15 people out of long-term rough sleeping by delivering intense personalised support to rebuild their lives. St Mungo’s outreach workers will be supporting people who have been on the streets for a long period of time, often tackling complex issues around their physical and mental health, and substance use.
To date, the appeal has raised over £11,000 which means that three people out of the 15 can already be helped.
Alice works by freezing donations until charities can evidence social goals set out at the start of an appeal. Donors to the appeal can track when goals are met and when their gift is paid to St Mungo’s. Donors will know when individuals find and maintain a tenancy, when they are receiving help with moving in and also taking steps to address mental health or substance use issues.
Street Impact 15 Lives is also supported by Westminster Council and the Greater London Authority.
Rebecca Sycamore, Executive Director of Fundraising at St Mungo’s, said: “People who have been sleeping rough for a long time often have complicated histories and issues they need help to tackle. This pilot gives us more flexibility than usual commissioned services do. This allows us to give these people the personalised support that we know will help them rebuild their lives away from the streets. We’re very pleased to help pilot this innovative funding platform, working with Alice and partners in Westminster and the Greater London Authority.
Raphaël Mazet, CEO, Alice, said: “The charity sector is currently going through a crisis of public trust. We want to address that by helping trailblazing organisations like St Mungo’s, who are committed to transparency, to raise more funds for the amazing work they do. We’re excited to be launching this first pilot with an appeal that will make a really positive difference to the lives of 15 people. We hope to scale the project to help many more people if it’s successful.”
Press Contact: Charlotte Cohen, Press and PR Officer, on 020 3856 6126 or charlotte.cohen@mungos.org
