OLD HUNTING/SHOOTING CLOTHING TO HELP HOMELESS THIS WINTER

[Bladerh4]

Hello all,

Whilst this may seem to make me appear to be ignorant in my relatively rural life I have just returned from a midweek break in a UK city. It was quite cold as the winter is now starting to bite and was appalled at seeing so many homeless people freezing in doorways. I know that I/we can’t solve this problem but we can do something to help. We as a shooting community have cupboards full of warm, waterproof outdoor clothing and at this time of year are probably hoping that Santa will be bringing us some more. I have dug out some old (but still perfectly usable) insulated hunting jackets and trousers, gloves and hats and have found the RIGHT organisation in my home city of Nottingham who get this stuff DIRECTLY to the people who desperately need it this winter - not just put in charity shops to be sold. I’m not trying to preach at anyone or put anyone on a guilt trip but this really bothered me and I feel that I have to do something. Just think about it guys - that old gear that you don’t use anymore might actually keep somebody ALIVE this winter! That’s got to be better than getting a few quid back by flogging it on eBay hasn’t it? If anyone in the Nottingham area wants to know the details of the organisations that I have found or even to send some stuff to me  (I’ll happily sort it out) then please drop me a line. There are volunteer groups in your area as well, do a google search and you’ll find the right people if you want to help someone less fortunate than ourselves. Thanks for reading this and Merry Christmas to you all.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Bladerh4
Additional info

[rapid .25]

Well done bud, I have a few jackets and fleeces I was going to sell but now I'll find my local homeless charity and drop them off for them, 👍

[mel b3]

What a very good idea , well done that man.👍.

[12gauge82]

Great idea and good for the shooting community 👍

[johnphilip]

Saw on facebook one country think it was in europe people but the clithes they dont want on fences and lamp post . For the homeless .

[Pigeon Shredder.]

Putting stuff outside will only attract one type, so don't complain later on.

[Vince Green]

Don't be taken in by all the 'homeless' sitting in shop doorways in busy London streets, most are professional beggers and the sites are controlled by gangs who take a rake off. There are true homeless in London but they would get their heads kicked in very quickly if they ventured into places where you as a tourist are likely to see them.

Centre Point is a good charity. It is very much about finding the right charities because they are not all as good as they would like you to think. The Salvation Army takes donations of clothes then SELLS them to the homeless. 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Vince Green

[Old Boggy]

9 hours ago, Vince Green said:

Don't be taken in by all the 'homeless' sitting in shop doorways in busy London streets, most are professional beggers and the sites are controlled by gangs who take a rake off. There are true homeless in London but they would get their heads kicked in very quickly if they ventured into places where you as a tourist are likely to see them.

Centre Point is a good charity. It is very much about finding the right charities because they are not all as good as they would like you to think. The Salvation Army takes donations of clothes then SELLS them to the homeless. 

Are you sure about that last sentence ?

OB

[Bladerh4]

I understand what you are saying and I'm not that dumb regarding begging. I'm talking about people sleeping on the streets, in doorways (and wherever) at night not during the day. If you are bedded down, buried under cardboard at 11.00 p.m. I'd go out on a limb and say that you are probably homeless - what do you reckon? I've done quite a bit of looking into this over the last few days and whilst certain councils around the country are better than others they all have stuff in place to assist genuine homeless but there are a lot that fall through the cracks. If you read my original post it states that I took the time to find volunteer groups who actually go out onto the streets and get stuff DIRECTLY to the people that need it - not sold in a shop. 

I'm trying to do something to help another human being - that's all. And I'm now going to tell you what tipped me over the edge on this. Because I did what we all have done and walked past people in need and pretended that they weren't there! I felt so ashamed after watching ******** politicians on the TV playing childish games for their own self promotion whilst they play with ours and our kids futures to then leave the lovely restaurant that we had just eaten in and walk back to my boutique hotel to drink 30 year old single malt in the bar. And I should be ashamed! 

There are lots of reasons why people end up on the streets, sometimes it's their fault, sometimes it's not, sometimes they have mental illness problems, substance / alcohol abuse issues. Guess what? I don't ******** care how they got there! I'm just trying to stop another human being freezing to death with stuff that I don't use - it's not a lot really is it? But it's better than pretending that this issue or should I say these PEOPLE are not there.

I always despatch my quarry 'humanely' - interesting word. I didn't feel very humane when I ignored another person in need. 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Zapp
Dont evade the content filter please

[johnphilip]

2 hours ago, Bladerh4 said:

I understand what you are saying and I'm not that dumb regarding begging. I'm talking about people sleeping on the streets, in doorways (and wherever) at night not during the day. If you are bedded down, buried under cardboard at 11.00 p.m. I'd go out on a limb and say that you are probably homeless - what do you reckon? I've done quite a bit of looking into this over the last few days and whilst certain councils around the country are better than others they all have stuff in place to assist genuine homeless but there are a lot that fall through the cracks. If you read my original post it states that I took the time to find volunteer groups who actually go out onto the streets and get stuff DIRECTLY to the people that need it - not sold in a shop. 

I'm trying to do something to help another human being - that's all. And I'm now going to tell you what tipped me over the edge on this. Because I did what we all have done and walked past people in need and pretended that they weren't there! I felt so ashamed after watching ******** politicians on the TV playing childish games for their own self promotion whilst they play with ours and our kids futures to then leave the lovely restaurant that we had just eaten in and walk back to my boutique hotel to drink 30 year old single malt in the bar. And I should be ashamed! 

There are lots of reasons why people end up on the streets, sometimes it's their fault, sometimes it's not, sometimes they have mental illness problems, substance / alcohol abuse issues. Guess what? I don't ***** care how they got there! I'm just trying to stop another human being freezing to death with stuff that I don't use - it's not a lot really is it? But it's better than pretending that this issue or should I say these PEOPLE are not there.

I always despatch my quarry 'humanely' - interesting word. I didn't feel very humane when I ignored another person in need. 

 

Fair play to you . . I enjoyed reading that , and can understand your feelings .

[Fatcatsplat]

12 hours ago, Vince Green said:

 The Salvation Army takes donations of clothes then SELLS them to the homeless. 

Got any proof of that anywhere?

[Mark1983]

guy at work does alot of work with Crisis, company chipped in and raised over a grand, so far. hopefully its honest but liked the sound of what they get below. they really need pants/socks/toiletries etc. sure they could be worth asking about the old hunting clothes (great idea, however quite scary not being able to see the drunks in the park lol). the email below is what was sent round the company...also a close friend of mine is  a doctor and runs a homeless centre in London.. you may get some fakers etc but the problem is very real a lot of genuine people need help!  

Each Christmas the charity we choose to support is Crisis, the national charity for homeless people. They are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change.

Christmas can be an incredibly difficult time of year for a person cut off from family and home. At Crisis at Christmas every year they provide companionship and support to tackle loneliness and isolation, and help people take their first steps out of homelessness.

 

Just £28.18 reserves one place at Crisis at Christmas and provides:

• A warm welcome and good company
• Three nutritious, hot meals daily, including a delicious Christmas dinner
• A bed for the night, if needed
• A chance to shower, freshen up and get clean clothes
• A health check and treatment from a doctor, optician and dentist
• Expert help with mental health and addiction problems
• Advice on housing, employment and benefits
• A way out of homelessness for good through Crisis’ year-round training, education and support

 

[Sciurus]

I understand exactly where Bladerh4 is coming from. I had a few days in Glasgow last year and was genuinely shocked at the level of rough sleepers there. The City Council acknowledged  the severity of the problem and you would often see outreach workers sitting on the pavement talking to the rough sleepers in a very compassionate way. These were not professional beggars thrusting babies into your hands whilst demanding money, these people had reached the end of the road and deserve our sympathy and help.

We are all a lot closer to being on the streets than we think - all it takes is a couple of bad things to happen together - a bereavement, redundancy, interest rates of 14%, repossession/eviction, a partner meeting someone else and emptying the joint bank account, Stress, PTSD, a bad car accident.... I could go on. 

Handing out money directly to beggars, I believe just encourages the professional beggars or the gives the addicted money the chance to buy more drink or drugs. Bladerh4 is correct, if we want to help, we should support the relevant charity with donations of clothing or donations. Christmas is a perfect time to do this. For my part I am making a donation to the Sally Army. 

Seasons Greetings to you all.

[mickyh]

Any more information on the Salvation Army  please.

We always give to them as they helped my Grandfather when he was temporarily blinded during the war. 

He fully recovered ( then was sent back over).

He told us never to forget them.

I find it so hard to believe they would sell to the homeless.

Proof please?

[old'un]

Great idea and if you decide to donate your castoffs make sure you hand it over to the person/s you wish to benefit from your goodwill.

Most of the cloths donated to charities are processed by companies like LMB Textile Recycling and shipped abroad, there is a lot of money being made by someone….https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30227025

[Bladerh4]

18 minutes ago, old'un said:

Great idea and if you decide to donate your castoffs make sure you hand it over to the person/s you wish to benefit from your goodwill.

 

 

Most of the cloths donated to charities are processed by companies like LMB Textile Recycling and shipped abroad, there is a lot of money being made by someone….https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30227025

That's why I've searched out the frontline volunteers who are out on the streets. If I dropped some of my (quality but used) gear off somewhere I can guarantee it'll end up on eBay. I want it to go directly to the person that will benefit from it AND I am personally making sure that is what is happening with stuff that people have already sent and are sending to me.

[PPP]

Thanks for posting this, it’s easy to walk on by when you see it everyday and witness people changing into begging clothes and getting dropped of by car at hotspots and dismiss everyone as scamming junkie scum.  Thanks for making me stop and think about genuinely desperately unfortunate people.

Does anyone else remember ‘country coats to syria’, I wonder what happened to that?

 

[redial]

3 hours ago, mickyh said:

Any more information on the Salvation Army  please.

We always give to them as they helped my Grandfather when he was temporarily blinded during the war. 

He fully recovered ( then was sent back over).

He told us never to forget them.

I find it so hard to believe they would sell to the homeless.

Proof please?

May be they mean the Sally Army shops, which sell to the public rather than the homeless ?

[Vince Green]

The salvation army was investigated in Feb 2011 by the Charities Commission for over irregularities between a commercial company it owns SATCo ltd and Kettering Textiles over it selling donated clothing and not distributing it. Lots of shady goings on at least one director on the board of Satco was alleced to have made £10 million.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Vince Green

[Bladerh4]

Well I took my first lot of stuff to the volunteers today with some insulated hunting trousers and ex army softee suit trousers. Just got this message through Facebook 

Amanda Winters Bobby Sands I gave a pair of trousers each to two people who were settling in a shop door way for the night,they only had a thin sleeping bag and a quilt,they are so grateful for the trousers and I know they will be so much warmer tonight.Thank You

That is all it takes to make a difference fellas! 

By finding the frontline people I know that my stuff is directly helping someone TONIGHT.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Bladerh4
Added text

[12gauge82]

37 minutes ago, Bladerh4 said:

Well I took my first lot of stuff to the volunteers today with some insulated hunting trousers and ex army softee suit trousers. Just got this message through Facebook 

Amanda Winters Bobby Sands I gave a pair of trousers each to two people who were settling in a shop door way for the night,they only had a thin sleeping bag and a quilt,they are so grateful for the trousers and I know they will be so much warmer tonight.Thank You

That is all it takes to make a difference fellas! 

By finding the frontline people I know that my stuff is directly helping someone TONIGHT.

This is fab, I might give some gear out myself next time I'm in a city.

Well done that man 👍

[silver pigeon69]

Theres a local homeless bloke "Will" who stays near to where i work. He never begs and doesn't even has a "collection" tin. He always says good morning when i pass. I normally stop and have a chat and give him a few quid for some food. A few days ago i was chatting to him and he was saying how cold it was, especially as someone had nicked his sleeping bag. There's a local army surplus store nearby and i noticed they had a "Maggot??" sleeping bag (the one with the hood). He was so made up when i gave it to him! (seeing his face, i think it made my day more than his!)

On the flip side, there is another homeless man (more beggar than homeless!) who "begs" a few hundred yards away. He always asks for money, never says anything else. I don't like giving money to homeless people if i see them drinking or smoking cigarettes. (not that i have a problem with this, i have a problem with funding this!) Last year, before Christmas, i walked past him and he asked and i said i didn't have any change. He was smoking a cigarette (not a roll up!!). I passed him to go to Argos to buy a laptop for my daughters Christmas present, that wasn't cheap! Whilst in Argos, i felt guilty thinking about the presents and Christmas we would be having compared to his. I decided to give him so money on the way back. i took a few notes from my wallet and had them in my hand. As i walked towards him, he was speaking on his mobile telephone, it was an iPhone 8!! About a grands worth of phone at the time! The money stayed in my hand and i walked on!

What i think i'm trying to say is, there are genuine homeless then there are others who can make many £1000's a week.

[Bladerh4]

2 hours ago, silver pigeon69 said:

Theres a local homeless bloke "Will" who stays near to where i work. He never begs and doesn't even has a "collection" tin. He always says good morning when i pass. I normally stop and have a chat and give him a few quid for some food. A few days ago i was chatting to him and he was saying how cold it was, especially as someone had nicked his sleeping bag. There's a local army surplus store nearby and i noticed they had a "Maggot??" sleeping bag (the one with the hood). He was so made up when i gave it to him! (seeing his face, i think it made my day more than his!)

On the flip side, there is another homeless man (more beggar than homeless!) who "begs" a few hundred yards away. He always asks for money, never says anything else. I don't like giving money to homeless people if i see them drinking or smoking cigarettes. (not that i have a problem with this, i have a problem with funding this!) Last year, before Christmas, i walked past him and he asked and i said i didn't have any change. He was smoking a cigarette (not a roll up!!). I passed him to go to Argos to buy a laptop for my daughters Christmas present, that wasn't cheap! Whilst in Argos, i felt guilty thinking about the presents and Christmas we would be having compared to his. I decided to give him so money on the way back. i took a few notes from my wallet and had them in my hand. As i walked towards him, he was speaking on his mobile telephone, it was an iPhone 8!! About a grands worth of phone at the time! The money stayed in my hand and i walked on!

What i think i'm trying to say is, there are genuine homeless then there are others who can make many £1000's a week.

That's why it's important to find the people who actually go out on to the streets to help these people like I have done. Amazing folk, they are all volunteers who provide hot food out of their own pockets, organise collections of clothing with their own vehicles/fuel and spend their evenings on the streets just trying to look out for and help the most vulnerable people who really need assistance. I FILLED two bin liners with old stuff that was just lying around the house - hats, gloves, scarves, an old puffer jacket that I used to use for painting the fence in, as well as the heavy duty stuff (why did I have 6 thinsulate beanies? Do I really need that many? I don't think so!). Most of us have a surplus of stuff that can help - it's just being ***** to do it!

They were over the moon with what I provided, most of which WE would class as worthless and you are right about how it makes you feel when you know that you have GENUINELY helped someone. I'm going to do more! Because as a society we subconsciously always think that someone else will deal with these things - well who is this someone else? I've now seen first hand that it's just normal people like us that do this off their own backs, not for money, not for adulation, not to try and 'convert' people to some religious belief and certainly not for publicity/self promotion. They do it because someone has to and it's the RIGHT thing to do in an allegedly compassionate society. If we all were just a tiny bit more like these people the world would be a lot better place to be. 

Now I am getting a little 'preachy' which wasn't my intention at all - the idea of this post originally was to explain my recent experience and hopefully make a few others think about just how easily we could all help IMMENSELY by doing very little.