Baking cakes and sleepless nights: Fine & Country Bedfordshire host two fantastic fundraisers

One Fine & Country office is getting in the charity spirit with two upcoming events in the next two months.

Coffee morning, Thursday 19th October
Fine & Country Bedfordshire are kicking things off with a coffee morning on Thursday 19th October at their office. Hadyn van Weenen and Tom Mollett will be baking, icing and decorating a range of delicious treats for clients, friends and passers-by to enjoy.

If you are in the nearby area from 9am and have a sweet tooth, come to:

Fine & Country Bedfordshire
38 Mill Street
Bedford
MK40 3HD

Sleep Out, Thursday 9th November

Take a look at Haydn and Tom's video here to learn about what they are doing and why.

Their second fundraiser is very different to a bake sale; Fine & Country Bedford will be sleeping rough on the streets on Thursday 9th November. This is an independent Sleep Out, meaning there is not a designated area for them to go to, or security, or even toilets. Instead, they will leave work on Thursday 9th and walk to the nearby ‘hotspots’ where they will speak to, and sleep next to the homeless people they are trying to help. 

By hearing and understanding their stories, Hadyn and Tom aim to gain a greater insight into the lifestyle of a homeless person in Bedford during the cold winter months. Organised Sleep Outs have dozens of people in the same area which opens up the public’s eyes to the harsh conditions that are endured by homeless people every day. However, independent Sleep Outs such as this combine the harsh and bitter weather conditions with the backstory that makes the cause so important.

The following day, Haydn and Tom will pack up their sleeping bags, dust of their clothes and make their way to work for a full working day. It is this part of the challenge that makes a Sleep Out so difficult. The freezing temperatures, strong winds, noisy surroundings and uncomfortable ground will prevent our volunteers from having a decent night’s sleep. They will wake up cold, tired and aching and attempt to carry out their usual working duties. Homeless people go through this every day; the Sleep Out hopes to open people’s eyes to understand why it is difficult to perform well in job interviews and other methods to get off the streets for good when you are sleeping rough.

To donate to Hadyn and Tom, please click here.

The cause
The events are designed to help raise awareness for homelessness in the Bedfordshire area. Please give generously and share their story with your friends, family and colleagues. 

Fine & Country Bedford have chosen to support The SMART Prebend Centre. This local charity deals with homeless people who often suffer from substance abuse and mental trauma. The main support offered by The SMART Prebend Centre revolve around basic needs and provisions, including hot food and drinks and showers. 

In January 2017 alone, they received 1,380 users for lunch and 409 for breakfast. The winter season is once again approaching which puts even more strain on facilities, such as The SMART Prebend Centre. For this reason, they are in desperate need of a new fridge. It is not glamorous or exciting, but it is an essential need for the charity to feed their users each day this winter.

At The Fine & Country Foundation, we look for priorities within homeless charity and seek to ensure that they can continue to support homeless and vulnerable people. By learning and understanding the needs of charities we are able to offer the most efficient and sustainable support. For The SMART Prebend Centre, that support is in the form of a fridge.

Haydn and Tom aim to raise £1,500 which will cover the cost of the fridge with some excess left over. The fridge will cost £1,299. A local counsellor has donated £250 towards the cost of the fridge, leaving £1,049 to raise. Any extra donations that are raised will go towards cooking utensils and kitchen equipment for unstructured activities. These unstructured activities will provide essential life skills and hygiene lessons to their users.

Catherine Hoskins, Chief Executive Officer of SMART Support Services said, "We are delighted and very grateful that Fine and Country have chosen to support The SMART Prebend Centre. Local business fundraising is very important as it helps us to provide vital services to homeless people, rough sleepers and those who are vulnerably housed in Bedford."

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