The Fat Duck, Brutto and Gymkhana among StreetSmart fundraisers

StreetSmart’s yearly campaign to raise funds to support homelessness in the UK is now underway. The charity encourages diners to visit a supporting restaurant, pub or hotel and donate £1 per table.

Over 540 restaurants have signed up this year, including The Fat Duck, Trattoria Brutto, and Gymkhana, as well as the restaurants within Harvey Nichols and Selfridges and the D&D London, Cubitt House, and MEATliquor restaurant groups.

Chef Jeremy Lee from Quo Vadis said: ‘StreetSmart’s secret is that it’s dead simple. Today we can feel far too busy and serious to do anything, but with this tiny effort you can end up with a large lump sum after Christmas. It’s a small gesture for a big problem.’

Joining for the first time are restaurants Endo at Rotunda, Manteca, and Amethyst in London; The Palmerston in Edinburgh; and Carters of Moseley in Birmingham. As ever, 100 per cent of the funds raised in each city going to support the homeless locally.

Adam and Natasha Stokes, from Adams Restaurant, said: ‘Being based in the centre of Birmingham we see first-hand the effects of homelessness. The past 24 months has been devastating for so many, which has only created more need for these vital funds. Everyone deserves to live in a safe and stable home.’

StreetSmart has raised more than £11.2 million since its conception and now operates in 24 cities across the UK. Over 50 homelessness charities benefit each year, with funds supporting services like the creation of beds, housing, mental health support, and training and job support.

An example of a project supported is The Soup Kitchen at the American Church in London, which provides free meals, clothing and toiletries to more than 150 homeless and vulnerable people every day, and also hosts a drop-in mental health clinic to those in need.

The kitchen requires hundreds of volunteers to help run the service. One of them is the chef and StreetSmart ambassador Monica Galetti.

Galetti said: ‘Homelessness is something we see on the streets every day in London, and so when we opened our restaurant nearby we were keen to give back to the local community. If we can help a little by running StreetSmart and occasionally volunteering then that’s the least we can do. We only receive positive feedback from our staff and guests, who are happy to give to such a worthwhile cause.’

Due to the way StreetSmart is funded, 100 per cent of the money raised at the restaurants goes to help those in need, because the charity’s partner LandAid covers all of the costs of the campaign.

The official partners this year are our sister title The Good Food Guide, and the Michelin Guide.

A full list of the participating restaurants, homeless projects funded, and partners supporting StreetSmart can be found at streetsmart.org.uk

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