Let’s Feed Brum is a leading homeless charity in Birmingham, on a mission to be part of the solution to end homelessness for good.
We bridge the gap between commissioned services and people on the street through the power of befriending.
Every day our volunteers connect with people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness, creating a consistent and meaningful dialogue that helps us better understand what they need. We then help signpost them to the relevant services across the city, encouraging them along the way.
Our core activities include
Outreach
Our volunteers go out every evening across Birmingham city centre, from 7pm.
They are armed with hot food from local restaurants, hot and cold drinks prepared in our hub, and snacks that come from our surplus food partners. In addition to toiletries and clothing, which has been donated by the general public, local businesses, and key initiatives that aim to reduce waste.
They visit rough sleeping hot spots and stop in key locations where we know that people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness will be.
As well as the immediate need of food, drink and essential supplies, they are there to lend an ear and check in on people to make sure that they’re doing ok… both mentally and physically. Sometimes, our volunteers are the first conversation that someone has had all day.
Befriending
There’s no doubting that for people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness there is an immediate need: access to nutritious food, hot drinks, essential toiletries, and warm clothing.
However, this is only the beginning.
When a person becomes homeless, they lose a lot more than just a roof over their head. Along with this can come a range of other losses, including access to friends and the security of a familiar neighbourhood. Even if they manage to access temporary housing, getting the rest of their life back on track can be difficult.
For us, a cup of tea is the vehicle to start conversations. A selection of our volunteers are trained befrienders; building strong and trusted relationships with people when they need it most. This connection helps us better understand what people truly need, how they’re really feeling, and the barriers to them getting help.
Once we understand the complications around people’s individual situations, we’re better able to bridge the gap between them and the services available. We work closely with the Local Authority, commissioned services and other key organisations to try and encourage people to access what’s on offer.
Volunteer Training
Our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do, and we work with other charities and organisations to ensure that they’re properly trained.
Recent training sessions have included:
– Mental health and dealing with trauma
– Safeguarding
– Anti-slavery
– Befriending
We want all LFB volunteers to have the confidence to provide meaningful help and advice to those on the streets.