I started the scheme 4 years ago (pre-covid) after I saw a homeless person sitting in a doorway with a hot drink and I wanted to help them at some point but not then as they already had a drink. So I came up with the pay it forward voucher scheme. It started off just been sold in independent shops in Cambridge, then the city council started funding them. Then Covid hit and it all stopped.

Near the end of the lockdown I came across evouchers.com (they supply vouchers for high street shops such as Primark, Greggs, Boots, Aldi, costa. I then applied for a grant from Arnold Clark Foundation and it was successful. I have partnered with various organisations such as Wintercomfort, CHS, Bundles that love, Caring for Cambridgeshire Homeless, Leicestershire Cares amongst others and they refer their clients (single parents, young people escaping homelessness by moving to supported housing, those temporary housed, homeless, etc) to the scheme. The grant has now run out and I can only operate through donations at present.

Vouchers given directly to people in need are from £10 and for supported organisations can go upto £30.

Requests are made via a form on the website. Forms direct from people in need require email and name & address verification and are double checked for authenticity. Vouchers are sent by email, text or both.

Please consider either making a regular monthly donation, but one offs are also valued.