Boston Tea Party cafes to host contactless donation points to raise money for Bristol Charity inHope
The Bristol-based charity inHope has formed an exciting new partnership with Boston Tea Party, to help provide homeless people in the city with a hot, nutritious meal.
From Friday 17th June, customers at two popular Boston Tea Party cafes (Stokes Croft and Whiteladies Road) will be able to donate a hot meal for a homeless person, for the cost of a cup of coffee. Contactless donation points have been installed in the two cafes and every £3 donation will provide a freshly cooked meal for someone in need of support at the Wild Goose Day Centre in Easton.
The Wild Goose has supported people who are homeless at its location on Stapleton Road since 2010. Since then it has served 10,000 people and over a million hot meals, whilst also offering practical support such as showers, laundry or fresh clothes. An engagement team offers a programme of activities, covering everything from access to health services and support with housing, to a hairdresser and creative writing courses.
Support is provided by a small team of staff and a dedicated group of volunteers. A qualified chef creates delicious and nutritious meals, four days per week, for up to 140 people a day – a number that has been steadily increasing throughout the year.
Despite the large number of people needing support, the Wild Goose depends entirely upon voluntary income for its funding. Although much of the food is donated, the cost of employing a chef and maintaining the kitchen means that each meal costs an average of £3.
inHope’s new partnership with Boston Tea Party is exciting because it means that for the price of a cup of coffee, customers will be able to give somebody a much needed meal. They will simply need to tap their card against the donation device and their donation will go directly to helping someone at the Wild Goose.
Should the contactless donation points in the initial two cafes prove successful, the plan is to place further points in Boston Tea Party cafes across Bristol.
Jonathan Lee, Chief Executive of inHope said: “We’re proud to be a local charity, so it’s a real privilege to be working in partnership with a Bristol-based business like Boston Tea Party. Their purpose of making things better aligns with inHope’s vision of helping everybody to overcome insecurity and reach their potential and we’re really excited that we can work together to make a difference.”
Sam Roberts, Boston Tea Party CEO said: “Our Purpose as a business is Making Things Better so we’re excited to be working with this great charity doing some fantastic work within our community. Everyone deserves to access to a hot, nutritious meal and we are confident our customers will join us in getting behind this cause.”
Mick Connolly, Manager of the Wild Goose said: “We are delighted to be working together with Boston Tea Party to support some of the most vulnerable people in Bristol. Along with hot meals, the Wild Goose offers a wide range of support – everything from healthcare to haircuts. Just £3 donated through the contactless points will provide a warm, nutritious meal and make a real difference to someone in need."
Posted: July 2022