President's Appeal

Over many years the CIH Presidential Appeal has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities and good causes across the world. Steve Benson, the 2008/9 CIH President, has chosen the Crisis "Changing Lives" project as the focus of his Presidential Appeal.

About Crisis

Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. They work year-round to help homeless people across the UK get through the crisis of homelessness, fulfil their potential and transform their lives. Crisis develops and offers innovative services including housing advice, education and training, which help homeless people rebuild their social and practical skills, join the world of work and reconnect with society.

Crisis Changing Lives – Project Summary

Crisis Changing Lives provides financial and mentoring support to help homeless people realise their vocational ambitions and return to work. It was set up to provide individuals who have experienced social exclusion through homelessness with the opportunities and support they need to be able to recover from homelessness and become independent and self-supporting again. The financial awards that are made through the scheme can be used for equipment and course fees for training or for the tools of the trade needed to return directly to work or in setting up small businesses.

Since it began in 2002, the Crisis Changing Lives project has helped over 1000 formerly homeless or vulnerably housed people realise their ambitions and move back into vocational education or employment.

Awards of up to £2,000 are made to recipients across the UK under two categories, education or employment. Each applicant must submit a stringent business plan, which outlines their vocational goals and objectives, key milestones to be achieved and associated financial budgets. A panel of experts then assess each application, deciding which are successful.

Message from the President

It’s a great honour for me to be President of the CIH and a privilege to lead an appeal that will help homeless people realise their vocational ambitions and return to work. Homeless people face a huge range of difficulties, but if they can be helped either back into employment, or sometimes in to employment for the first time, they can become independent and self supporting again. You can find out more about Crisis by visiting their website (http://www.crisis.org.uk/) or you can find out the latest progress in the President's Blog