Some small help?

cainkapow

Okay so ive been playing with an idea for quite some time and i feel like now is the time to get the ball rolling.

Basically i want to create a charity to help homeless off the street, the service i would offer would hopefully have some kind of building with beds in which a homeless person could come off the streets and sleep somewhere warm and safe.

I was homeless for a number of years and basically got stuck in loopholes, luckily as a child i was good at bush craft so i had options that others didn't really have, i could build shelter and catch food.

Im from near Newcastle and the are some charities out there that tackle homelessness but most tend to have age limits, or have particular stipulations which means not everyone could use the service.

Obviously this is all an idea in my head, i have looked at direct.gov on how to start a charity, but im still pretty much clueless about it. Does anyone have any knowledge on this kind of thing?

Many thanks
Cain

asajj

Short answer is: I have no idea.. I have thought about this myself a bit but from what i see charities can have complex structures and would require fair amount of work to start but i might be wrong.

http://knowhownonprofit.org/basics/setting-up-a-charity/intro

This website is a bit more relevant.

Reasons why there are stipulations / age limits are often practical and would prove necessary I'm afraid.

Have you contacted any of these charities? Perhaps you'd start of with them to learn what they do and how they do it before going on starting your own?

Savvy_Sue

DEFINITELY get involved with one of the existing charities, both on the 'frontline' of involvement with clients, and in the 'back office' where the policies get hammered out and the fundraising happens and the volunteers are recruited and so on.

Then it might be best to identify the gaps and see if there's a way to fill one of them. Is it a need for a wet shelter? One which will take pets? Women only? Young people? Or is it move-on accommodation that's the real blockage?

BUT be aware that nothing in this line of work is ever easy ... and sometimes there are reasons for policies, eg sometimes because the council has identified priorities and will pay to have them met, or sometimes in the best interests of those who need the provision,

joogoo

your local cvs (council for voluntary services) can give you guidance on starting a charity but you will need at least 3 people willing to take on the management to set one up and you may find the admin could take you away from the work you want to focus on - which is why it may be more appropriate to volunteer for an existing charity