Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) is supporting the national campaign `Have a Heart, Give Smart’, which aims to raise awareness of homelessness and street begging and to provide alternative options to giving money directly to those on the street.
Although begging and homelessness can be linked, not all rough sleepers beg or vice versa. The Have a Heart, Give Smart campaign seeks to inform people about the impact of giving money to street beggars, and instead, encourages donations to local charities – who help to tackle the complex issues associated with homelessness and rough sleeping.
AVDC and the Aylesbury Town Centre Partnership will be promoting the campaign online and via specially designed posters prominently placed throughout the town centre.
Councillor Mark Winn, Cabinet Member for Communities, commented on the launch of the campaign:
“There are some great local charities which we and other agencies are already working in partnership with to help eliminate rough sleeping across Aylesbury Vale, and this campaign will help to complement the work that we are doing.
The Have a Heart, Give Smart campaign is a great initiative with a clear message: if you want to support rough sleepers and the homeless, it’s better to donate money to local charities who have the knowledge and experience in providing the best support.”
Local charities taking part in the campaign include:
• Aylesbury Homeless Action Group
• Aylesbury Vineyard Church Storehouse
• Aylesbury Trussell Trust
• Connection Support Rough Sleeper Outreach
• Youth Concern
Further information on Aylesbury’s Have a Heart, Give Smart campaign and links to the charities donate pages can be found by visiting: https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/have-heart-give-smart-campaign
Members of the public are also encouraged to report people they believe are sleeping rough by visiting: https://www.streetlink.org.uk