Author: FSB Insurance Service
Tags: Charity

We’re partnering with local Croydon homelessness charity, Nightwatch, as our chosen charity to support in 2020. As a local charity, run entirely by volunteers, Nightwatch is an active force for good within our local community and we’re proud to be able to help them support them.

Who are Nightwatch?

Nightwatch is a completely volunteer-run charity that has been caring for the homeless people of Croydon since 1976 - that’s over 40 years! Nightwatch volunteers are out every evening in the centre of Croydon, 365 days a year handing out food and supplies to people who need it.

Nightwatch’s objectives are:

• To act as first line contact for homeless people, to signpost them to other agencies
• To provide urgent and necessary items of food, clothes, toiletries, pots, pans, household goods to people in need
• The stabilisation of former homeless people in new accommodation
• To assist in helping unemployed homeless people (both financially and emotionally) to take up vocational training and education
• To befriend homeless people to encourage empowerment and increase in confidence
• To educate the community at large in Croydon about the realities of homelessness

‘When I didn’t have any food I’d go down to Nightwatch to get something to eat and food parcels, and I’d get clothes when my things were worn out.  When I got somewhere to live, Nightwatch provided me with a fridge, washing machine, a telly, so I felt I’d got a place of my own again. They have been there for me.’ – Wayne

How are we working together?

The team at FSB Insurance Service take part in several fundraising efforts over the course of the year, including staff donations for ‘dress-down Friday’, bake sales and sponsored walks. Staff will also be given the chance to get involved by going and helping the Nightwatch volunteers at their nightly soup kitchen in Croydon.

'Volunteers from Nightwatch are out in Croydon every night helping homeless and other vulnerable people with food and clothing.  A lot of our resources go on resettling former homeless people into new accommodation, and helping people into work with such things as work-related protective clothing. 

'We also have a hardship fund which is used to support people with such matters as household debts which might cause them to become homeless. In all this the support of the community is essential and we very much appreciate the generosity of FSB Insurance Service in supporting Nightwatch, which allows our work to continue at the current level.’ – Jad Adams, Nightwatch

To find out more about Nightwatch, visit http://croydonnightwatch.org.uk/