Dreams is to strengthen its partnership with homelessness charity Shelter in a new boost to mark World Homeless Day.
The bed chain will donate £5 to the charity for every transaction from 10-13 October.
The campaign, to ‘help make a safe night’s sleep a reality’ is part of Dreams’ three-year partnership with the housing and homelessness charity. The funds raised will be used to fund Shelter’s emergency helpline that supports people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
There are now a record 117,450 households living in temporary accommodation in England, a type of housing provided by the council when a person or household becomes homeless. Temporary accommodation is not designed for permanent living, but the lack of safe, secure and affordable homes means families are often trapped there for long periods. A record 151,630 children are also homeless and living in temporary accommodation, a increase of 15% over the previous year.
Dreams’ support for the charity has already raised more than £238,000 for Shelter, exceeding the target set for the partnership which began in February 2023.
‘Almost two years on from the launch of our partnership with Shelter, we’re still driven by the belief that everyone should have a home with a bed to call their own. That’s why, this World Homeless Day, we’re enabling our customers to help make a safe night’s sleep a reality. Every purchase supports our joint efforts to address homelessness in a practical and sustainable way,’ says Jonathan Hirst, Dreams ceo.
‘Every day our frontline services see the devastating impact of the housing emergency, from families stuck in cramped and grotty temporary accommodation for years on end, to renters struggling to keep hold of their homes due to skyrocketing rents. With homelessness levels at an all-time high, Shelter’s work to fight the housing emergency is more important than ever. We simply couldn’t do this work without the support of our amazing partners like Dreams and their customers. Every purchase made this weekend helps us to be there for people who don’t have a place to call home,’ says Polly Neate, Shelter chief executive.
