Contactless donation points launch in Bristol to help tackle homelessness
Melanie May | 25 September 2019 | News
A contactless donation system to raise money for homelessness prevention services as well as directly supporting people who are currently homeless has launched in Bristol this week.
TAP for Bristol is delivered by Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with Caring in Bristol and Quartet Community Foundation.
The first TAP for Bristol points, where people can tap their contactless credit or debit card to donate £3, have opened in shop windows and on hand-held devices in central Bristol. Current locations include 25/27 College Green, Waitrose on Queens Road and the café/bar at Bambalan at Colston Tower.
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In addition, TAP points are being installed in business premises to allow employees and visitors to ‘TAP for Bristol’. The first to go live will be at Lloyds Banking Group’s headquarters at the Lloyds Amphitheatre and the Spectrum building on Bond Street.
All money donated through TAP for Bristol is being managed, monitored and evaluated by Quartet Community Foundation. Donations will be divided equally between Quartet and Caring in Bristol.
Caring in Bristol will use the funds to deliver new homeless prevention and early intervention support services to people who are vulnerable to homelessness. This will include a new group of trained volunteers working in partnership with local debt and housing advice agencies to give additional, timely support to those at risk of becoming street homeless.
Photo: BID Bristol TAP by Jon Craig Photos
Local charities, organisations and community groups will be invited to apply to Quartet Community Foundation on behalf of named individuals to support them into a safer and more stable life away from the streets.
A single ‘TAP for Bristol’ donates £3 and supports someone attending a job interview. Two TAPS help fund a one to one session with a support worker for a young person facing homelessness and three TAPS can fund a prevention worker navigating someone away from crisis, or fund an emergency deposit for a room.
The Bristol City Centre BID team is actively looking to install further TAP for Bristol donation points in prominent places with high footfall and are asking businesses and organisations to get in touch if they are interested in hosting one, including owners of vacant properties. TAP for Bristol donation points will be installed free of charge within the BID area.
More units are expected to be added across the city centre over the following weeks, with one on Park Street shortly being installed in premises owned by Bristol developer Urban Creation.
Keith Rundle, Operations Director at Bristol City Centre BID said:
“TAP for Bristol is a new, quick and easy way to help people experiencing homelessness on the street, or who are at risk of becoming homeless. It’s unique in the UK as the only contactless donation system to support homelessness prevention work, as well as funding direct support to individuals.
“The scheme will supplement the wealth of great work already happening in Bristol to tackle homelessness, which is a major concern to our members.”
Ben Richardson, Director of Caring in Bristol, added:
“Homelessness needs more than an emergency approach. We want Bristol to lead the way in ensuring people never have to sleep rough in the first place. Money raised through the new TAP for Bristol initiative will help us to deliver vital services to support people who may be at risk of homelessness, to enable them to stay in their homes or find alternative accommodation and to seek wider opportunities such as training or employment.”
- TAP for Bristol raises over £30,000 in one year (16 October 2020)
- TAP for Bristol reaches 20 contactless donation points (19 December 2019)
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.