Porchlight
District Chairman Liz Lister's charity for 2019 -2020
The District Chairman’s Charity this year is Porchlight.
Porchlight was founded in Canterbury but works across the whole of Kent. Porchlight, particularly, help the homeless or those in danger of becoming homeless, to get the support they need. And it makes a difference. It, very successfully, tries to rehabilitate the homeless by providing them with the support, advice, guidance and skills to live independently in the future.
In the last few years there has been an enormous increase in the numbers of rough sleepers in the UK and particularly in the number of women living rough, with Kent having one of the highest numbers. 140 women, at the last official count, were homeless and living rough in Kent. All homeless people are vulnerable but women more so. They are at risk of rape, abuse, and manipulation as well as mental and physical ill health, and it can happen to anyone.
Porchlight are organising a specific campaign for women rough sleepers and are trying to raise £20,000 to provide a Rapid Rehousing scheme so that vulnerable women can be taken off the street immediately and into a safe environment.
International Inner Wheel three-year social project is Caring for Women and Girls. Supporting Porchlight to tackle the problem of women living rough fits in with that social project and we hope to make a substantial contribution towards it.
