Businesses have welcomed a new contactless payment scheme to help the homeless and potentially cut down begging on the streets of Leicester.
Some 16 pay points are being set up are being set up in shops, caf茅s and public buildings in and around the city centre, where people will be able to donate 拢3 at a go with the tap of a card or phone.
Money raised will support the One Roof Winter Night Shelter operated by city charity One Roof Leicester.
Like many cities, Leicester has issues with homelessness and begging on its streets.
The shelter provides emergency accommodation and food to rough sleepers during the coldest months of the year.
The paypoint initiative, called Give Leicester, will also support a website listing more than 75 organisations that can help the homeless in the city.
The scheme has been organised and funded by BID Leicester 鈥 the city鈥檚 Business Improvement District body 鈥 and Leicester City Council, who will be paying all the transaction costs to ensure every penny goes to the shelter.
Dominic Shaw is marketing director at city centre-based Creative Direction, which has been involved in the design and marketing for the scheme.
He said: 鈥淭here have been visible signs of homelessness in the city centre and we were delighted to be asked to help market this campaign because it鈥檚 such an innovative, secure and guaranteed take on giving and donating.
鈥淎 week before we got involved in the Give Leicester project, we were saying in the studio that we would like to help the homeless and maybe they should take a contactless payment, because like most people, we don鈥檛 carry cash.
鈥淭his way we can give with confidence, knowing that any money is going to those that need it most.鈥
Tim Emmony, managing director of MNE Accounting, which is based just around the corner from the design agency, said it was a 鈥渂rilliant idea鈥.
He said: 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted a better way of getting money to the homeless without giving cash.聽
鈥淔irstly as John Bird, the founder of the Big Issue, says himself, giving cash to the homeless is not the best thing to do as it鈥檚 too short-term and tempting to spend on the wrong things.
鈥淪econdly, I never have any change. I haven鈥檛 heard of the shelter before but they absolutely have my backing.鈥
What's new
Paul Baker runs Leicester waste management business Bakers Waste.
He said: 鈥淲ith many people not using cash or having cash this is great way to donate.
鈥淚 think the fees being covered are great as a lot of people are sceptical about whether all the money goes to good causes.
鈥淕iving cash to homeless people might not always give the support we think, whereas someone managing the donation might help them in the right way.鈥
Leicester lawyer Richard Osborn is a regional director at Excello Law, and a member of the BID board.
He said: 鈥淥bviously this will not solve the homelessness problem in Leicester but hopefully in conjunction with other initiatives it will help improve the current situation, which I think everyone recognises has worsened over the last year or two.鈥
