Group that assists rough sleepers in Milton Keynes granted charity status

Hand on Heart delivered 800 essential item packs, including sleeping bags, to rough sleepers in Milton Keynes, Central London, Greater London, Hertfordshire and Southend this month.

The packs contains sleeping bags, blankets, joggers, thermals, gloves, woolly hats, underwear, socks, deodorants, PPE, oral hygiene sets, and other toiletries, all in a drawstring bag.

Items that will undoubtedly make life a little easier for those stuck outdoors during treacherous winter conditions.

On February 18, Hand on Heart, officially became a registered charity.

Afzal Pradhan, trustee and co-founder of Hand on Heart said: "We have faced challenging times this winter with restrictions due to Lockdown.

"Not only have we found it difficult to operate, but the weather has been harsh for rough sleepers as we sadly see an increase in the number of families coming to our outreach drives due to the pandemic.

"However, we have overcome these obstacles by adjusting our operating method and found a way to distribute our essential packs in a safe manner. Hand on Heart volunteers including parents with children to raise awareness, have assembled over 1,800 Winter Warmer Packs this winter and they have been the shining light in this storm.”

In total, the charity raised over £40,000 this winter sending out 33,000 essential items. Hand on Heart began as a volunteer group supporting people in need by providing people in homeless shelters with food parcels. Since 2019, the group has expanded to cover more of the country and began its larger scale rollout of winter warmer packs to those out on the streets.