Investment management company BlackRock recently held a homelessness awareness day in aid of Thames Reach at their offices in the City of London.
BlackRock held the day as part of a global campaign that saw staff around the world take part in activities to raise awareness around the subject of homelessness.
The day included a talk from Thames Reach service user Maz Albrecht about her time sleeping rough and how Thames Reach has helped her away from the streets and into housing. The manager of Thames Reach’s Graham House hostel, Tony Waters, also spoke about some of the issues faced by its residents, such as their dependency on incredibly strong and dangerous super-strength lagers and cider. The talk was well attended by BlackRock staff and a question and answer session followed.
A quiz featuring questions about homelessness was held for BlackRock staff, with a prize of tickets to see Coldplay at Wembley Stadium.
BlackRock staff generously raised in excess of £6,000 on the day and additionally provided Thames Reach with high quality marketing materials to help communicate the work of Thames Reach.
Thames Reach fundraising officer Emma Rembalski said: “We were delighted with the success of the homelessness awareness day and the enthusiasm and interest shown by BlackRock staff. We look forward to an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship with BlackRock and are extremely grateful for their generous support”.
