Reg Meuross and Sidmouth Parish Church joined forces on August 9th to raise funds for the homeless in and around Sidmouth via the amazing Gateway Charity. A wonderful concert (and some busking from Reg outside the church!) with Anna Tanvir and the Totnes Pop Up choir was held and money was raised.

Homelessness is a cause close to Reg Meuross’s heart and he would like to keep going raising funds for Gateway which was set up by local residents Lesley Crawford and Ann Worthington, both with professional backgrounds in housing and social care, joined forces to provide practical help to people in the Sid Valley area who are homeless, or at risk of losing the roof over their head.

Gateway has now directly helped at least 40 people over the last three years by providing sleeping bags and food, as well as working to find suitable housing for those in need. But the number of people at risk of losing their homes has increased. The charity puts this down to the increase in zero-hours contracts and insecure, variable incomes, and difficulties in claiming housing benefit

He is known as a songwriter with a social conscience, and has won two awards for his song Faraway People, which highlights the plight of vulnerable people who have fallen victim to benefit cuts. The song tells the stories of real people. Other songs by Meuross have been inspired by the pressure on the NHS, and the harrowing experiences of refugees forced to flee their wartorn countries.

Co-founder of Gateway, Ann Worthington, said: “As well as being grateful to Reg Meuross for supporting Gateway with this fundraising opportunity, we were also delighted to have one of the UK’s finest singer-songwriters in our local church. Thank you to everyone for your generosity."