Reading Chronicle - Please don't give money to beggars!

LaunchpadFaith Christian Group and Churches in Reading Drop In Centre have come together to encourage generous passers-by not to give beggars money in an effort to stamp out a trend of Class A drug addictions.  

Ian Caren (Launchpad), Mabel Boyd (Churches in Reading Drop in Centre) and Malcolm Peirce (Faith Christian Group) were interviewed by Reading Chronicle in July 2017 as to the situation within Reading as regards begging.  We share a frustration that charities like ourselves are out there offering help but the impression people have is that nothing is being done.

It was pointed out that a good half of those apparently homeless do in fact have roofs over their heads, they are simply there to beg for money for drugs.

If you want to help, then buy food or a drink (although food is available everyday of the week in some form of drop-in, some days twice). So you could also print out and carry with you our list of where and when food handouts are available     What’s on where 2017       What’s on Back – Map

Listen to Ian Caren of Launchpad on Radio Berkshire.

The newspaper article reads ……….

“VULNERABLE and homeless people living on the town’s streets refuse to accept help from a range of charities because they can make hundreds of pounds each night by begging.

Malcolm Pierce, director of Faith Christian Group, spearheaded the ‘Bed for the Night‘ winter night shelter scheme, but is equally frustrated by the lack of uptake. He added: “Our struggle seems to be in January and February that the offer is there for a decent sleep and somewhere safe, but people won’t come in. They feel like they need to stay out in the cold and keep begging so that they have enough money to buy drugs.”  

The idea of tough love is a hard thing for people to understand when they think they are doing something good.”

Read the full article

          Ian Caren

         Mabel Boyd                  

        Malcolm Peirce