Express & Star

A fantastic year for Socks & Chocs

Well what can I say. Socks & Chocs had a simply fantastic year in 2014.

Published

Yes we won some awards but we don't measure our success in awards. We measure our success in how many people we inspire to run their own collections where they live.

Inspiring people in this way lets people help the communities where they live.

2014 also saw an increase in the number of groups who go out handing out food on different nights of the week which has caused us to come up with a policy of who www.socksandchocs.co.uk help. I have reproduced it below.

The reason for this is because we believe that there must be robust system in place offering further help. Our belief is that we must have a joined up approach. Many of the groups going out giving out food do not have such a system in place and therefore we don't consider our socks are best handed out in this way.

I also retired from West Midlands Police recently and I will develop www.socksandchocs.co.uk further as we are becoming registered as a charity.

I have set up my own fitness business www.merciannordicwalking.co.uk which means an exciting time ahead for me outside of Socks & Chocs.

That said we feel that several groups taking stuff to the streets could cause duplication and even stop individuals seeking help from established centres.

We are not sure what provision is made for safeguarding of the individuals they meet or safety measures that are in place for their own safety .

The policy of Socks & Chocs is to support established homeless centres in order that homeless people can access help via such a centre and not as part of a mass handout on the streets.

This is Socks & Chocs' policy and we cannot and do not want to stop people doing great things, but our policy is to support the established centres.

Socks & Chocs also does not want to suggest that the homeless community, as a whole, are dangerous as this is not the case.

Socks & Chocs will not be giving Socks & Chocs to individuals or groups with no proper provision to ensure the safety and health of the homeless people they meet.

This message is not intended to detract from the intentions of these obviously very caring people – it's just that Socks & Chocs wishes to work with established centres so that appropriate care and provision can be accessed.

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