Next weekend I will be taking part in the Harrow School sleep-out in aid of FirmFoundation. We will be building shelters out of cardboard and sleeping outside for the night in order to experience what is like to be homeless in London.

FirmFoundation is a small, Harrow-based charity and so all money donated goes directly to their initiatives. They do not have any administrative costs and so appreciate all donations. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

In eight years, the number of "rough-sleepers" living in London has increased tenfold. FirmFoundation works hard to try help fix this problem by offering advice and support to homeless people in Harrow.

FirmFoundation run three main initiatives:

1.) Night Shelter

They provide dormitory-style accomodat5ion during January, February and March each year. This caters for 10 male guests who are either sleeping rough or are at immediate risk of becoming homeless.

2.) Hope Place

FirmFoundation offer supported accommodation to rough sleepers for up to two years. Hope Place is an opportunity to move from the street into  a secure and safe environment, receive appropriate support and be ready to move on into independent living

3.). Single Homelessness Signposting Drop-in

They recognise that homelessness is an all-year round issue and that through genuine relationships they are able to support those in need. They, therefore, offer rough sleepers the chance to visit them for any support they may need each Wednesday afternoon.