Aiming to raise as much as possible in one day
Staff from Marks & Spencer’s Head Office in Paddington are hoping to boost takings at Shelter's store in North End Road in Fulham by taking it over for one day only on Wednesday November 27.
The Retail, Learning and Development team from M&S are splitting into five teams and staing a one day take-over of Shelter’s shops in Camden, Fulham, Muswell Hill and Holloway, with a team in each store and one roving team.
The teams will use their retail experience to take on the challenge of increasing each individual shop’s takings from the same day the week before through ‘Apprentice’-style activities. Throughout the day, the teams will help raise funds by completing challenges such as selling an item in the shop valued over £20.
The funds raised will contribute to Marks & Spencer’s annual donation to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity. M&S donations help fund the charity’s helpline; open 365 days a year, with a dedicated team of 50 expert advisors, it provides information and support for people struggling with bad housing and homelessness.
Shelter is bracing itself for an alarming rise in calls to its helpline this December, following a record surge in demand. Last year, more than 12,600 people called the helpline in December – a 15% increase from the year before. The number of people who called the Shelter helpline over the last year reached 174,177 – a 10% rise year-on-year, equivalent to more than 470 people calling the helpline every single day.
Earlier this month, the charity launched an emergency fundraising appeal after figures showed that 80,000 children will be homeless this Christmas.
Marks & Spencer has worked with the charity for the past eight years. Over this time, M&S customers have helped raise over £2million for the helpline by buying millions of Christmas sandwiches from Marks & Spencer’s Food on The Move range.
Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, says: " While most of us will be enjoying the festivities at home with our family and friends, Shelter helpline staff will be taking calls from people on the brink of homelessness. But with the number of calls for help they receive rising fast, they need more support to keep going.
" No child should be homeless this Christmas. Support from partners like Marks & Spencer is incredibly important to ensure we can continue helping families when they need us most."
The charity is urging shoppers in Fulham to visit the local Shelter store, at 385 North End Road on November 27 to help staff raise as much money as possible and is also encouraging shoppers to buy lunch from the M&S Christmas Food On The Move range this festive season.
November 26, 2013