Leeds Anti-Begging Campaign Raises Just £48
Radio Aire has learnt that a campaign, to encourage fewer people to give money to individuals begging on the streets on the city, has raised just £48 in three months.
‘Think Before You Give’ was launched in May. Posters were encouraging people to text donations or go online. The money raised would then be distributed to certain homeless charities in the city.
Councillor Mark Dobson is in charge of Community Safety and is part of the Safer Leeds Partnership, which was behind the campaign. He told Radio Aire: “I don’t think it’s had anything like the opportunity to do some of the good work we want it to do in Leeds so far. It is early days. I want us to progress with it because I think it’s the right direction of travel. But so far it’s clear that there are people still begging in the streets in Leeds and being given money directly.
“What we’re saying is there’s a better way to support people in genuine need because if you use the ‘Think Before You Give’ campaign basically your money is going directly to trusted organisations like St George’s Crypt, St Ann’s Community Services, Big Issue in the North, that can actually drill down to establish people in need and how best to support them”
Geordie regularly begs on the streets of the city centre. He told Radio Aire’s Bethan Davies “It’s ridiculous. It’s mad. How are you supposed to eat? You’ve got to get money from somewhere. Surely it’s better to ask someone for a bit of spare change than going out and robbing somebody.”
Richard also begs in the city. He told Bethan “I don’t get locked up. I don’t break the law. I keep myself out of trouble. I think really they should just leave us alone. I do agree about those who go around hand begging because it’s in people’s faces and walking around hand begging is wrong because they do scare people. I’ve seen it.”
Radio Aire has been speaking to some of the charities that support people who are homeless in Leeds.
Lesley works for CRI Outreach which sends out support workers to offer help and advice to anyone on the streets. They helped to devise the Think Before You Give campaign. She says “It’s never really been about getting donations, we’re not asking for people’s money. That’s not what it’s about. It’s more about getting people not to give directly to the person that’s begging. If they really want to give there’s lots of different charities to give to. So it’s just about getting that out there.”
“People do have complicated lives. We’re not saying people are out there begging just because they want to get money. The message that we’re trying to get across is that there are services to help, services to support them and we’re going out on a daily basis to that person.
“If we do receive any money from the campaign we’ve already decided that would be used to provide starter packs for people to move away from the streets and into accommodation, bedding, pots and pans and things like that, so they can move successfully away from the streets.”
Jamie from Simon on the Streets told Radio Aire he doesn’t like the message of the campaign. “I personally don’t believe it’s a good thing because it potentially stigmatising even more, the guys that are already stigmatised out there on the streets. It tarnishes everyone with the same brush, which I personally don’t agree with.”
“These guys aren’t ready to access these services. These guys are so entrenched in their lifestyle. They’re running away from significant trauma in their past. There are obstacles. It’s unmanageable obstacles.”
“If people are aggressively begging, then nick them. Get them arrested and take them off the streets. Nobody wants to be intimidated. But those guys who sit there, with a cup maybe, and they don’t bother anybody, what harm are they doing?”
“We give practical and emotional support to people who can’t or won’t engage with other services. We get to know people. We have no time limits on the support that we give at all.”