Last Friday 27th November, a group of brave volunteers from our Krystal team stayed awake for 36 hours to raise funds for Shelter, the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charity.
So far they’ve managed to raise an incredible £2,500 (and counting) to help people whose lives are blighted by homelessness and bad housing conditions.
Staying sleepless for Shelter
Starting bright and early at 08:00 on Friday, our intrepid insomniacs freshened up as usual and got to work. To an outside observer it looked like any other Krystal Friday – keeping websites online and businesses running...
It was once the day’s work at Krystal was done that the real challenge got underway. Kitted out with games, box sets, pizzas and mugs of much-needed caffeine, they settled in for what was going to be a seriously long evening.
And so began the Krystal all-nighter, consisting mainly of box set marathons, games, snacks, walks to get some fresh air, deep and meaningful conversations and even frazzled attempts at housework. There was mutual encouragement to keep flagging spirits up, and more than a hint of healthy competitiveness. Important lessons were learned, relationships were tested and minds were opened…
Finally getting their weary heads down at 20:00 on Saturday evening, our brave volunteers managed an impressive total of 36 hours of fatigue-fighting fundraising.
Once the challenge was over, there was time for reflection (after some well-deserved shut-eye!) on the plight of those that Shelter helps. Homeless people or those with unstable home situations often lack the simple comfort of a good night’s sleep. It's just not possible to relax if you don't have anywhere comfortable and safe to bed down at night. This is where Shelter’s amazing work comes in.
The housing challenge
Millions of people every year struggle with bad housing or homelessness. It destroys families, puts lives in danger, ruins relationships and disrupts children’s education.
Shelter believes that a home is a fundamental human need and a basic moral right, as vital as education or healthcare.
The challenge is huge:
- 6 million households are denied the right to a safe home, or are threatened with losing it.
- 4,750 people sleep on the streets on any given night.
- 90,000 households are stuck in unsuitable temporary accommodation.[1]
- 56% of teachers have worked with homeless children.[2]
It shouldn't be this way. This is why Shelter fearlessly campaigns for decent housing for all.
What Shelter does
Formed in 1966, Shelter has helped millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through advice, support and legal services, including:
- Face-to-face services
- One-to-one, personalised help with housing issues.
- Online advice
- Expert information and webchat.
- National helpline
- Free 365-days-a-year emergency helpline for those facing a housing crisis.
- Legal support
- Free legal advice and court attendance by solicitors.[3]
The Shelter Helpline team gave advice to 34,051 households last year alone and their online advice and services pages received 6.8 million visits.[4]
How fundraising helps
As a charity, Shelter is funded mainly by public donations. Fundraising for them couldn’t be easier, and they provide lots of inspirational fundraising ideas on their site. They make sure money is used where it’s needed the most - on having demonstrable, positive impacts on people’s lives, while keeping support costs to a minimum.
For every £1 donated:
- 79p is spent directly on helping people through advice, support and campaigning
- 21p is spent on fundraising for the next £1.[5]
What’s amazing is how much impact fundraising of any scale can have on people’s lives. For example, just £30 funds three urgent calls to the Shelter helpline, supporting those under immediate threat of homelessness.[6] While £250 can help provide legal advice to a family at risk of losing their home.
Here at Krystal we’re proud to do our bit to help Shelter continue their important work - fighting for all those whose lives are blighted by the loss of their home, as well as achieving important policy changes to improve the lives of thousands of people.
Head on over to the team’s JustGiving page to see the most up-to-date total. Any donations would be most gratefully accepted...with perhaps the odd yawn or two!
Footnote
[2] Shelter - Homeless at school: 56% of teachers have worked with homeless children
[6] Shelter - Donate
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