SHELTER. the National Campaign for the Homeless, launched just over two years ago. has exceeded its original target by about £250,000, bringing its total income to date to £l.072,450, its director. Des Wilson, said at a Press conference in London last week.
The amount raised in its second year, he said, was £699,409, which was about £150,000 above its target for the year. He was particularly proud of its low cost ratio of 16 per cent. for overheads in the second year-4 per cent. for administration and 12 per cent. for fund-raising — compared with 19 per cent. for the first year.
He said more than 1,107 families had already been rehoused by voluntary housing associations with the help of Shelter. The associations with the best record were the Notting Hill Housing Trust (304 families). the London Family Association (232), the Birmingham Association (96), the New Islington and Hackney Association (76), the Liverpool Housing Trust (71), and the Paddington Churches Association (70).
A further 1,278 homes were already in the pipeline with the help of Shelter money. When the present housing programme was complete, 2,385 families would have been rehoused with Shelter help. Mr. Wilson said Shelter had allocated a further £347,613. mainly to eight major housing associations, for a housing programme in 1969-70 which would create homes for a further 1,156 families. If this was completed satisfactorily. 3,541 families would have been rehoused with the money raised by Shelter so far.
"The emergency problem of the homeless is too colossal for Shelter to get complacent," he said. "But I believe this substantial achievement both in money-raising and in housing iry only two years is an effective answer to people who argue that the voluntary housing movement cannot make a worth-while contribution in this field."
WALKING AND READING
Shelter Walk Week, which began last Saturday. is expected to bring in more than £150,000 by over 250 walks sponsored by Shelter's Youth Campaign. In addition, 600 local walks organised by schools and youth clubs have as their target at least £325 each.
Eton is holding a walk on Monday— the first sponsored walk for charity ever organised by the college. Marlborough raised about £100 through a marathon reading of "The Forsyte Saga."