Since 2010 the total number of people sleeping rough in the UK has risen by 169% (Crisis - link below) and in 2018, 320,000 people were recorded as being homeless in the UK. 

My name is Benjamin Guilfoyle and I am a performance poet and early years teacher. I live in Lancaster and I want to do something to help tackle to rising problem of homelessness in my city. Every time I walk through the city centre I walk past people who, for a whole host of reasons, are having to sleep rough in shop doorways and I hate the feeling that I can't do any more than give a bit of spare change.

On the 21st of May I shall be embarking on a poetry tour in aid of two charities. The first being the Lancaster and District Homeless Action Service and the second being the Lancaster Children's Library. I will be walking from Lancaster to my home town of Brighouse. I will be performing 12 poetry shows in 12 towns over 12 days to raise money for the above two charities. 

This is a page for donations towards the above two charities for people who can't attend any of the 12 shows but would still like to donate. I am not trying to reach a fund raising goal with this page but I do aim to raise as much money as I can.

For more information on the tour and to see any of the tour dates please visit: www.facebook.com/woollyhatpoems 

Please send an email to woollyhatpoems@gmail.com if you have any queries about anything at all. I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

Lancaster and District Homeless Action Service -  https://www.ldhas.org.uk/

Lancaster Library - https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/libraries/find-a-library/lancaster-central-library/

Crisis UK Homelessness Monitor 2018 - https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/homelessness-knowledge-hub/homelessness-monitor/england/the-homelessness-monitor-england-2018

BBC Homelessness article Nov 2018 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46289259