Safestore is Supporting WrapUp Exeter to keep the Homeless Warm this Winter

WCalver
Authored by WCalver
Posted Monday, October 23, 2023 - 10:16am

DONATE A COAT, WARM A HEART!

Safestore is Supporting WrapUp Exeter to keep the Homeless Warm This Winter

Donations can be made from 21 October to 4 November at Safestore Exeter

Safestore, the UK’s largest self storage company, is urging people across Exeter to donate good quality, unwanted coats to ‘WrapUp Exeter’ which is being run by the Rotary Club from 21st October to 4th November with various drop off points available.

This winter will mark the 12th year of the UK’s largest self storage company’s support for the WrapUp campaign which began in London and to date has collected over 212,032 coats since the partnership began in 2011 with HandsOn London.

Safestore is calling on locals to give generously and members of the public can donate any unwanted coats during the store opening hours of 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, or 10am to 4pm on Sundays at Safestore Exeter on Exeter Business Park.

In addition to being a drop off point, Safestore will also provide storage space at several of its stores to facilitate the sorting, storage, and distribution of thousands of coats to over 100 charities, homeless shelters, vulnerable women and children’s centres, plus organisations supporting refugee families, the elderly and those fleeing domestic violence.

Exeter homeless charity St Petrock’s is predicting the number of rough sleepers in the city could double if plans for vital funding cuts are given the go-ahead which would result in a complete axing of almost £1.5m of funding to projects supporting people at risk of homelessness. Rough sleeping in Exeter doubled between 2021 and 2022, due to a range of factors including service cuts, cost-of-living pressures and interest rate rises. There are now typically around 30 people sleeping rough in and around the city, in addition to a very large number of people homeless but hidden from sight such as in cars, sofa surfing or in insecure temporary housing, all of who need support from services.*

Shahid Kadodia, Digital & Marketing Director Safestore comments, “As we approach the winter season, we recognise that there will be many people who are in a vulnerable position especially in light of the cost-of-living challenges. We are pleased to support the Rotary Club’s WrapUp Exeter initiative once more this year, as they work hard to help those in need and we take pride in our longstanding commitment to this campaign. We sincerely hope that the public rallies behind this cause, enabling us to contribute an even greater number of coats this year.”

Jon Meech, CEO, HandsOn London says: “We are proud of our partnership with Safestore who play a vital role in supporting our work in the collection, sorting, and packing of thousands of coats to those in need as we work to transform lives in the local community.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to Safestore for this wonderful contribution of storage space and for acting as a drop-off point which mean that coat collections could take place across the city. The complementary donated space also enabled our volunteers to sort through and pack up the donated coats, so we could get them out quickly to those who are vulnerable and struggling.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.safestore.co.uk/blog/2023/10/wrap-up-london-2023-safestore-drop-off-points/

The Safestore location where you can donate unwanted coats is at:

Safestore Exeter can be found at Unit B Dart Building, Grenadier Road, Exeter Business Park, Exeter, EX1 3QF

*https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/exeter-rough-sleepers-could-double-8202048

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