Giving Back Crawley - Homeless Charity - Crawley

Serving the Homeless Community

365 Days a Year • Crawley West Sussex

Tuesday • Thursday • Saturday • Sunday
7:00pm to 8:30pm • Full Service
11 Stephenson Way • Three Bridges
Hot Food • Hot & Cold Drinks • Free Shop • Take Away Cold Meals • Clothing • Bedding • Toiletries

Monday • Wednesday • Friday
7:00pm to 8:00pm • Cold Meal Service
Opposite Paddy Power • The Broadway
Cold Meals • Cold Drinks

Photo by Woodard Photography

23,000+

Meals Per Year

31,000+

Drinks Per Year

5,000+

Groceries Per Year

About Us

We are a small local charity that serves the homeless community in Crawley, West Sussex and we are entirely run by volunteers. Our primary focus is rough sleepers/street homeless, closely followed by hidden homeless and those in temporary accommodation. We serve our guests with a free meal and give them some of the essential items they need to get by. We also recommend other organisations that can help with their specific challenges. Another incredibly important aspect is taking the time to talk to them and reducing the social isolation they endure. We give them respect and compassion, friendship and hope, no matter what their circumstances may be or what problems they may have, they are always welcomed at Giving Back Crawley.

We are a registered charity, number 1178136 and our official charitable objects are;
For the public benefit, to relieve the effects of poverty in the Crawley area, in particular, but not exclusively amongst those who are homeless by supplying them with food, goods and services.

What We Do

Food & Drink

We serve all of our guests a free meal and drinks. For those that are sleeping rough, we give them another meal to take away. We also have a free shop with various grocery items for any of our guests to take.

Clothing

We take donated clothing and distribute to our guests. Most don’t have the luxury of wardrobes or washing machines, so we enable them to get a fresh set of clothing.

Bedding

We provide sleeping bags and camping mats to our rough sleepers. Sleeping rough is already pretty horrible but without any bedding it’s unbearable.

Wellbeing

We give our guests wellbeing items including baby wipes, deodorant, hand sanitiser, lip balm, mouthwash (alcohol-free), plasters, sanitary products, tissues and toilet roll. We also have paramedics attending regularly for health checks.

Information

We can’t provide all of the specialist support that our guests need. We discuss their challenges with them, suggest organisations that can help and encourage them to engage with them.

Care

Above all, we care. We take the time to talk to our guests, help where we can and do everything possible to bring a little joy to everyone who visits us.

Help Us

That sleeping bag you no longer use or little things like baby wipes, chapsticks or mouthwash can make daily life a little more bearable for someone sleeping on the streets. Money donations help us fund all of our services or maybe you have some spare time and some skills that could benefit us? Perhaps you could consider fundraising for us or even volunteering?

Make a Donation

Fundraise for Us

Volunteer with Us

Donate Goods We Need

Apples
Jars of cooking sauce (Sweet & Sour, curry etc)
Coffee
Crisps
Baby wipes
Chapsticks
Deodorants (Roll on)
Gloves
Hot Chocolate
Longlife Milk
Tinned Tomatoes
Baked Beans
Fresh Fruit
Sugar
Toilet Rolls

We Don’t Need Right Now
Sleeping bags (Good condition – Second hand)
Clothing
Tea
Mouthwash (Alcohol free)

We Cannot Use
Any Clothing Not Listed
Duvets
Duvet Covers
Pillows
Tents

Shop & Support Us

Donate

Bank Transfer NO FEES
You can donate through online banking. We don’t pay any fees whatsoever for donations through bank transfer, so your entire donation comes to us. If possible, please also complete a Gift Aid declaration so that we can claim an extra 25% from HMRC.

Giving Back Crawley
Barclays Bank
Sort Code 20 88 13
Account Number 53221830

PayPal FEES CHARGED (1.4%+20p)
You can make a donation online using your PayPal account. PayPal will charge us a fee of 1.4%+20p per transaction so Wonderful.org is a better option if you are using a debit card or credit card.

Cheque NO FEES
You can post a cheque, made payable to Giving Back Crawley to;

Giving Back Crawley
1a Dobbins Place
Ifield West
Crawley
West Sussex
RH11 0SZ

If possible, please also complete a Gift Aid declaration so that we can claim an extra 25% from HMRC.

In Person NO FEES
You can donate cash, cheques, or by debit card and credit card, by visiting us.

We are happy to take any old or foreign currency as well, both notes and coins.

We also have collection boxes in numerous places around Crawley, look out for them at the till!

Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate
If you are a UK taxpayer, Giving Back Crawley can claim 25% Gift Aid from HMRC.
If you would like us to claim Gift Aid on your donation, please complete the Gift Aid form.

Gift Aid Form

Financial

2018/19 Full Year Income

Money £27,585
Gift Aid £2,066
Goods Sold £50
Equipment £1,328
Services £284
Catering £7,903
Bedding £589
Volunteer Time £51,480

2018/19 Full Year Expenditure

Support Costs £505
Memberships £87
Bank Charges £20
Equipment £1,389
Computer Software £151
Building £1,700
Catering £8,107
Bedding £559
Volunteer Time £51,480

£91,285

Total Income (Cash & Goods)

£63,998

Total Expenditure (Cash & Goods)

£27,287

Total Balance (Cash & Goods)

Trustees Report and Financial Statements 2018/2019

Notes:
Our financial year runs from 1st May to 30th April each year.
Income and expenditure figures include both money and goods values.
All figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
Bedding = Sleeping bags & camping mats etc.
Catering = Food, drink, plates, plastic cutlery, take away boxes, cups etc.
Support Costs = Insurance & DBS Checks.
Memberships = Homeless Link.
Building = Hire of buildings.

We also receive regular donations of short-dated food produce, clothing, toiletries and various other items. It is not possible to reliably value these items so they are not included in the above figures.

Financial Facts:
100% of donations will go on charitable activities.
We do not spend any money on fundraising.
We do not spend any money on advertising.
None of our trustees or volunteers is paid in any way.
None of our trustees or volunteers can claim any expenses.
We do not receive any government funding.
We do not receive any grants.
Volunteer clothing is paid for by the volunteers.
Volunteer drinks do not come from donations.

We are fanatical about financial transparency so please don’t hesitate to ask if there is anything you would like to know.

The Team

Joe Dines • Trustee • Chair

Joe is a mother of 4 who has lived in Crawley for 24 years. She has been involved in various aspects of voluntary work during this time including youth work and lone parent support. She has been a part of GBC for 3 years and is dedicated to making a difference for the people they support.

“Being a part of GBC is an absolute honour. The charity strives to support homeless members of our community who are vulnerable and in need. Every member of the GBC team gives not only their time but their love and compassion to the charity and its guests. Together we are an eclectic, joyful and often chaotic family and they have taught me so much about life and the sort of person that I want to be.”

Laura Knox • Trustee • Vice Chair

Laura is a wife and mother of 2 young girls. She has been involved with GBC for 2 years, starting as a volunteer one night a week, gradually taking on more responsibility and then stepping into a trustee role in November 2019.

“I love being a part of GBC. I have learnt that a smile and a chat goes a long way for some people. We are a team, a family, all striving for the good of some of the most vulnerable within our community. I’m looking forward to the future GBC.”

Natalie Mackay • Trustee • Secretary

Natalie is a mother of 2 boys. She was born in Canterbury Kent and currently lives in Copthorne and has done so for 20 years. She has been volunteering for GBC for well over a year and will continue to do so to provide support and care to those that need and rely on GBC.

“Being part of GBC is an honour. The rewards are just phenomenal, it’s not just about feeding our guests and giving them drinks, toiletries and clothing but also taking time to talk to them, smile and support them as best we can, understanding their often very different situations and simply listening to them open up without judgement. Being homeless is just a tiny part of the problems we see and even a smile and a chat can mean the world to them. Covid19 hugely changed how we operate but we’re smashing it! I love my GBC family.”

Donald Mackay • Trustee • Treasurer

Donald Mackay is originally from the West Coast of Scotland and has lived in Crawley for more than 15 years. He has been a part of GBC since 2019 and is dedicated to making a difference to the lives of it’s guests.

“Being a part of GBC has given me a different perspective on life and being able to provide for those in need gives me immense satisfaction. I enjoy the interaction with our guests and even if all I can offer is a cup of coffee the way they like it I’m pleased. As part of the leadership team I am extremely proud of our volunteers and their dedication.”