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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
3:44 PM 19th December 2020
lifestyle

Just Eat Launches Christmas Meal Appeal In Yorkshire With Charities Social Bite, Depaul UK And Changing Lives

 
Just Eat’s Christmas Meal Appeal with charity Social Bite aims to provide up to 200,000 meals for homeless and vulnerable people across the UK

● Just Eat launches scheme in partnership with homeless charity Social Bite, who are working with local charities Depaul UK and Changing Lives to provide meals in Yorkshire over Christmas
● Customers can donate whilst ordering their takeaway and Just Eat will match their donations from Monday December 7th, raising funds for at least 100,000 meals

Dame Helen Mirren has urged the people of Yorkshire to help raise money for homeless and vulnerable people in an appeal launched by Just Eat and Social Bite. Other well-known faces including Rob Brydon and Sir Chris Hoy have posted videos backing the new Christmas Meal Appeal launched by Just Eat in partnership with charities Social Bite & FoodCycle.

The appeal comes after reports detail the increasing issue of homelessness in the UK, and the increased pressure and reliance on charities as the nation deals with the economic and social fallout of the Covid pandemic.

2020 has been like no other, but one positive outcome from this exceptionally challenging year is the sense of community and camaraderie that has emerged. Over 50% of people in the region want to do more to help those less fortunate this Christmas and over two-thirds say they are more appreciative of the comforts they have following the events of 2020.

The funds raised will be distributed to Depaul UK and Changing Lives by Social Bite who support homeless people through meal donations. Depaul UK works with some of the most disadvantaged young people, and specialises in supporting communities where poverty and long-term unemployment have resulted in generations of social exclusion and high rates of homelessness.

Changing Lives helps people in Yorkshire facing the most challenging of circumstances to make positive change - for good. The charity believes that everyone deserves a safe home, a rewarding job and a life free from addiction or abuse.

Frank Groves from Depaul UK and one of their clients
Frank Groves from Depaul UK and one of their clients
The Just Eat Christmas Meal Appeal is the perfect opportunity to help out and give back as we move towards the Christmas celebration, with many of us now hoping to be able to spend it with at least some of our family and friends.

Just Eat has committed to raising funds for at least 100,000 Christmas meals for homeless and vulnerable people and with support from customers, are aiming to fund up to 200,000. Customers can take part by clicking the donation button whilst they order their takeaway. They’ll have the choice of making a £3, £5 or £10 donation and Just Eat will match it, pound for pound.

I spoke to Kurt Sullivan from Depaul Yorkshire about the appeal.

Do you cover all of Yorkshire?
We cover the whole of Yorkshire and are one of the biggest Youth Homeless charities in Yorkshire working with 16-25 year olds. We are a national housing charity and we receive funding from the People's Postcode Lottery.

Are the homeless numbers growing in Yorkshire?
They are due to the pandemic - it has put a lot of strain on everyone including young people, they have lost jobs which has had an impact on mental health. There has been a huge increase in the demand for our service.

What type of support do Depaul offer?
We have the Safer Choices programme and the main one is Nightstop UK where young people receive a private room, a warm meal and somewhere safe to stay the night in trained volunteers' spare room.