With Nottingham City Council declaring itself effectively bankrupt last year, leading to heavy cuts in services for homeless people, the £81,600 raised by DHP Family’s award winning Beat the Streets festival has become more important than ever.
A cheque for the 2024 total was handed over by DHP Family MD George Akins to Framework’s Deputy Chief Executive Claire McGonigle this week. In return, the charity presented DHP Family with a commemorative platinum disc in recognition of the fundraising achievement and the company’s ongoing commitment to raising vital funds each year.
This year, the money from Beat The Streets will secure around a quarter of the jobs in the charity’s Street Outreach team, which were at risk due to cuts in Nottingham City Council funding. The Outreach team take to the streets every morning to engage with the growing numbers of rough sleepers, and are at the forefront of the charity’s work aimed at ending homelessness.
In the year to December 2023 the Nottingham Street Outreach team identified and worked with 869 known people sleeping rough in Nottingham, a 19 percent year-on-year increase. Having gained the confidence of someone sleeping rough, team members help the rough sleeper to find accommodation, and work to identify their support needs and employment options.
Working with this highly transient population of rough sleepers, the team also engaged with roughly 800 additional individuals who could not be definitively identified.
Framework’s Chief Executive Andrew Redfern said: “Each year the money raised at Beat the Streets plays a vital part in maintaining support for rough sleepers in Nottingham and we continue to be very grateful for this outstandingly generous assistance.
“In 2023 the funds raised enabled the construction of purpose-built accommodation for rough sleepers and we look forward to celebrating the opening of these new flats in a few weeks.
“The level of rough sleeping continues to rise relentlessly. Funds raised at the 2024 festival back in January will help us maintain the outreach team who work with people on the streets of Nottingham every day of the year. Three posts are at risk due to cuts in City Council funding and Beat the Streets funding will cover a large part of the cost.”
The live music company’s charitable music festival Beat The Streets was launched in 2018 and has now raised a grand total of £490,600 for Framework as well as shining a spotlight on the homelessness crisis. The charity works to turn around the lives of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness across the East Midlands, providing housing, health, employment support, and care services to people with a diverse range of needs.
Every venue was packed out on Sunday 28 January to enjoy a full day of live music showcasing more than 50 homegrown artists along with special guest Beans on Toast. The talent on display blew away audiences at Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Bodega and Rough Trade with all proceeds from tickets, bar and merch going directly to Framework.
George Akins, MD, DHP Family, said: “Everyone at DHP is very proud of the funds raised from this year’s Beat The Streets. After working hard to deliver a wonderful day of live music, it’s always great to see our total and hand it over to Framework.
“The funds raised each year at our event make a tangible difference to the lives of homeless people in the area, and thanks to everyone who attended, performed at, and worked on our 2024 event, we’ve been able to make another significant contribution to the hard work that Framework do, at a particularly vital time.”
The funds raised by Beat The Streets in previous years have gone towards keeping Sneinton Hermitage shelter open all year round; accommodating more than 60 high risk service users; employing two full time mental health workers and helping to open Mechanics House, which provides accommodation and resettlement support.
Beat The Streets is delivered by DHP Family in collaboration with local organisations and music groups including I’m Not from London; Farmyard Records; Hockley Hustle, and Rough Trade.
