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Cardiff's Give DIFFerently donation scheme for the homeless cost thousands of pounds more to set up than has been taken in donations so far - despite it being launched almost a year ago.

A national charity has cast doubt as to whether diverted giving schemes, backed by businesses and councils, can end rough sleeping as new figures reveal how much they have raised for homeless people.

Crisis has also expressed concerns that the schemes, which encourage the public to make donations rather than give directly to people on the streets, do not help people understand the causes of rough sleeping.

Give DIFFerently has raised £9,964 since it launched in April last year - of this £8,799.23 has been given out in grants to help people with things like driving lessons and bus passes, get ID such as passports, and buy phones or computers to apply for jobs and organise training.

But minutes from a meeting in May last year, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, show the Give DIFFerently scheme cost the business group FOR Cardiff £12,000 to set up.

(Image: Richard Williams)

The money raised by Give DIFFerently includes a £5,000 donation from Cardiff council at the start of the campaign. The council said it did not contribute to the set up costs of Give Differently.

FOR Cardiff, which will launch a new phase of Give DIFFerently in February which will see new contactless donation stations in retail and public spaces throughout the city, says it's confident the money raised by the scheme will grow.

A Cardiff council cabinet member has said people giving directly to rough sleepers "is not helping them to move away from the streets".

In Swansea, the 'Have a Heart - Give Smart' scheme launched in January last year has raised £700. So far £100 of this has been given to homeless charities.

The Safer Swansea Community Partnership, which runs 'Have a Heart...' says 100% of the money will go to the charities and it is canvassing local groups for a second round of funding opportunities.

Street SupPORT in Newport has raised £4,800 since it was set up last July.

The money will go to homeless charities The Wallich and Eden Gate - The Wallich is using its portion of the fund to pay for additional hours in their Newport Drop-In Centre for rough sleepers.

(Image: Rob Browne)

The Wallich says the only set-up costs were the provision of three contactless units - which were paid for by business group Newport NOW. The money is not given out directly to homeless people - it was set up for front-line charities to provide additional services.

In Neath Port Talbot, the 'Have a Heart - Give Smart' campaign launched in the autumn. The council has declined to say how much it has raised since it launched.

Karen Grunhut, director of homeless charity Crisis’ Skylight South Wales service, said councils should focus their efforts in proven ways to help people into safe and stable homes.

She said: "We are still concerned that diverted giving schemes encourage the public not to make a personal choice about whether they give directly to people on the streets. Some of the language and images used in the campaigns won't help the public understand what causes rough sleeping and homelessness.

"People sleeping rough already face a struggle to survive against extreme weather, risks to their health, and being victims of anti-social behaviour, and they shouldn't be pushed away to the edges of society.

"Local councils should focus their efforts on what works to help people who are sleeping rough to move away from the streets for good and prevent people from ending up there in the first place. Diverted giving schemes cost money to launch and to run and whether they can help end rough sleeping and homelessness at scale has not been shown.

"If we want to end the need for people to beg or to sleep rough we should invest in ways that are proven to work to help people into safe and stable homes."

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Give DIFFerently has given out individual grants between £25 and £750 - with applications going through a grants panel carried out by Community Foundation in Wales who manage the fund.

Grants given out by Give DIFFerently so far include:

Transportation - driving lessons, bus passes and bike purchase - to help with employability and independence.

- driving lessons, bus passes and bike purchase - to help with employability and independence. ID – passports, birth certificates and driving licences – without which recipients wouldn’t be able to register for the doctors or open a bank account for example. ID also helps improve employability.

– passports, birth certificates and driving licences – without which recipients wouldn’t be able to register for the doctors or open a bank account for example. ID also helps improve employability. Technology - phone and computer - for recipients to apply for jobs and improve independence.

- phone and computer - for recipients to apply for jobs and improve independence. Furniture – for example white goods, sofas. – so that recipients feel settled and comfortable in new accommodation, reducing the risk of a return to homelessness.

– for example white goods, sofas. – so that recipients feel settled and comfortable in new accommodation, reducing the risk of a return to homelessness. Vocational training and equipment –NVQs, health and safety certificates, gardening tools - to increase employability skills and opportunities.

Give DIFFerently has received more than 750 donations - the largest single donation from an individual was £500. Most donations range from £2-£20.

Adrian Field, executive director of FOR Cardiff, said he is confident the fund for Give DIFFerently will grow along with the campaign.

He said: "The campaign was developed to help change behaviours and highlight different ways of giving in a progressively cashless society. This behaviour change cannot happen if money is given directly to charities.

"Grants are applied for and distributed through front-line services to people who are registered homeless or are at risk of a return to homelessness. The application is simple, and organisations can apply for grants on behalf of these individuals.

“The aim is to provide individual solutions to individual issues and for funds to be spent on essentials that will aid a person’s personal development plan at a time that is right for them.”

Asked whether diverted giving schemes discourage the public from giving to homeless people on the streets, Mr Field said: "Give DIFFerently encourages people to think differently about how they give. The name and ethos of the campaign was coined in relation to the reduction in the amount of people carrying cash, offering a different way of giving.

"In turn, this money, through grants applied for and given directly to services supporting individuals, gives the donor a guarantee that their money goes those who are registered homeless.

"We understand that barriers exist that can make it difficult for people at risk of homelessness to access accommodation or healthcare. A substantial number of our grants have been to pay for ID, without which access to doctors or bank accounts, for example, isn’t possible.

"Homelessness is a complex and individual experience which our campaign reflects, bringing together front-line services and shining a light on the work being carried to combat rough sleeping across the city.”

Councillor Lynda Thorne, Cardiff council cabinet member for housing and communities, said people giving directly to rough sleepers is "not helping them move away from the streets".

She said: "The aim of Give DIFFerently is to end the cycle of sleeping rough by providing meaningful support through small grants that will really make a difference to individuals.

"Addressing rough sleeping in the city is a real priority for the council and by giving DIFFerently, everyone can help us tackle the issue, so that some of the most vulnerable people in our society can begin to rebuild their lives.

“Give DIFFerently is one element of a range of approaches we have to help people that are sleeping rough. For example, our outreach teams are on the streets every day, offering advice and support, and trying to encourage them to use the accommodation we have ready and waiting for them, and there are lots of other ways we are offering to help as well.

“The public giving directly to rough sleepers, whether it’s food, money or even a tent is not helping them to move away from the streets. It’s keeping them there because they’re not engaging with the services and professionals we have waiting to support them.

“I would ask the public to also encourage those they see on the streets to engage with services and not to stay out. They can let us know about a rough sleeper by emailing roughsleeping@cardiff.gov.uk . Our outreach team will make contact with the individual and offer support.”

(Image: Matt Discombe)

The Safer Swansea Community Partnership runs the diverted giving project in Swansea and a spokesman said: “100% of the money raised through Have a Heart goes directly to local charities dedicated to supporting rough sleepers in Swansea. In the first year of the project, the generosity of the people of Swansea has raised £700.

"These funds are available for homeless charities to apply for as part of a grant scheme. We are currently canvassing local groups for a second round of funding opportunities. So far £100 of the £700 has been distributed.

"The fundraising campaign is just one part of a safety net for rough sleepers supported in Swansea by services including outreach workers, temporary accommodation, hot food provision and counselling.

"People can and do give directly to people on the street but the Have a Heart scheme encourages givers to think about alternatives which may be more effective at supporting rough sleepers."

The Safer Neath Port Talbot Partnership joined the ‘Have A Heart, Give Smart’ diverted giving scheme which began operating in Swansea in January 2018.

The campaign says the main cost of setting up the Neath Port Talbot part of the scheme was staff time. The collection boxes, leaflets and a banner were funded by the Safer Neath Port Talbot Partnership at a cost of £219.

The partnership says it's too early to reveal how much has been collected by the scheme, but "will be a position to answer this in March". It has not revealed how much has been given out to homeless people.

Neath Port Talbot's 'Have a Heart...' scheme does not distribute funds directly to homeless people, but asks people to donate to local charities and other organisations via collection boxes.

A spokesman for the campaign said: "All of the money donated will go to where it can most effectively be used to increase the support available to homeless people in the area by offering grants to organisations to provide additional outreach and support services to help people break the cycle of homelessness.

"This help might come from statutory, voluntary, faith-based, business and other community groups who help people overcome the addictions and other problems that lead to begging and is in addition to existing services. Any voluntary sector organisation or charity that works to help homeless people into support services and accommodation can apply for funding

"The Safer Neath Port Talbot Partnership, of which the council is a member, is encouraging people to donate via the diverted giving scheme. However we fully respect people’s right to choose how they wish to instead of giving money directly to people who are begging on the streets."