On Saturday 21st August, our team of 4 headed up by UK Sales Director of Optimum Pay Group, Tamara Beckett, will take on the 24 hour stay awake challenge on the streets of Crewe to raise awareness and funds for Crisis. Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. This challenge will push them outside their comfort zones. They not only have the challenge of staying awake for 24 hours but they will be spending their time on the street without their normal comforts of home such as shelter, safety, running water, beds and beauty items. 

The team are taking on this challenge to help raise funds for Crisis, a charity aimed at reducing and preventing homelessness across the whole of Britain. Crisis not only deal with people experiencing homeless directly but also campaign for changes to help prevent future homelessness and solve it altogether. 

This is a critical time with the impacts of Covid-19 on the homeless population resulting in over 160,000 people either sleeping rough or in temporary housing. Crisis also forecast that rough sleeping is due to increase by 76 percent over the next decade unless action is taken.  

Tamara Beckett, Optimum Pay Group’s UK Sales Director, commented “In the modern world of convenience, it is all too easy to take all you have for granted, I know I have at times. That’s why I wholeheartedly believe in treating everyone as I would like to be treated. I’m taking on this challenge, to get a minor glimpse into how experiencing homelessness can affect a person whilst raising funds to help reduce and prevent homelessness in the future”

The team will be embarking on this challenge at 8am in the morning and following it through to 8am the next day and we’re aiming to raise £3,000 for the charity. Fired up about the positive impact their fundraising will make to people’s lives, they’re also excited to see the outcome of the challenge, but the nerves are setting in as the challenge is fast approaching. 

 What your donations can do to end homelessness; 

£10 - could provide a warm welcome and help someone take the first steps out of homelessness. 

£25 - could provide someone with the specialist advice they need to secure an income. 

£50 - could help someone regain a sense of worth through healthcare and counselling. 

 £100 - could provide support, training and equipment to help someone find their way back into employment. 

£250 - could provide one-to-one support to help someone find a safe place to call home.