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The cleverly worded signs aimed to highlight the nature of the charity, captivate passers-by and move them to donate.
The passage; Helping London’s homeless
The Passage is London’s largest voluntary day-centre charity for homeless people. Once a month, volunteers collect donations at London Victoria station. To raise awareness and help increase donations, James Reynolds & Nick Robinson created cardboard signs volunteers could hold with their collection pots. The signs aimed to highlight the nature of the charity, captivate passers-by and move them to donate. Donations increased by 25%. The budget was zero.
“I eat well. I sleep well. I’m collecting for someone who doesn’t.“ The Passage takes its values and ethos from the teachings and example of St Vincent De Paul, a Christian and social reformer, who co-founded the Daughters of Charity in 1633. Vincent believed in action rather than words and in hands-on service to vulnerable people. Source: Reynolds & Robinson “If I get wet I can change my clothes. I’m collecting for someone who can’t.” As a Vincentian organisation, The Passage strives to be inclusive; encompassing a diverse and rich culture from among our members, clients, volunteers and staff. Source: Reynolds & Robinson “I feel safe. I feel loved. I’m collecting for someone who doesn’t.” Actively working with others across all aspects of society, seeking to have influence and be an advocate for homeless people, The Passage seeks to be a place of hope, aspiration, change and innovation, underpinned by values that reach back over 400 years. Source: Reynolds & Robinson “I own a house. I have a garden. I’m collecting for someone who doesn’t.” The passage offers immediate and long-term assistance. Now the UK’s largest centre for homeless and insecurely housed people, The Passage not only offers immediate help and longer-term support, but also provides and develops a wide range of value-led support services, including innovative accommodation projects. Source: Reynolds & Robinson “I have a job. I have a bed. I’m collecting for someone who doesn’t.“ The aim of The Passage is to provide homeless people with support to transform their own lives. They achieve this by running a wide range of services, including the UK’s largest voluntary sector resource centre for homeless and vulnerable people, helping up to 150 people each day, three residential projects providing accommodation, street outreach, and a number of homeless prevention projects. Source: Reynolds & Robinson “I’m not cold. I’m not hungry. I’m collecting for someone who is.“ The coronavirus outbreak has meant that the service has had to adapt quickly, moving the majority of face-to-face meetings online, with extra emotional support and practical advice being provided over the phone or video chat to help people struggling to adjust to the challenging new lifestyle change. Source: Reynolds & Robinson
Creatives – Neill Rogers / Louisa Garnier / Paul Samuels / Nick Robinson
Film – Andy Davies / Nick Robinson
This campaign stems from 2012, but is still relevant today with the increasing number of homeless people and the challenging times we live in for charities to get donations.
The Passage —Cardboard James Reynolds & Nick Robinson created cardboard signs volunteers could hold with their collection pots. The signs aimed to highlight the nature of the charity, captivate passers-by and move them to donate. Donations increased by 25%. The budget was zero. Source: reynoldsrobinson.com
At a time of real crisis for London’s street homeless, The Passage worked to rapidly move those who were street homeless into temporary accommodation. They worked with local hotel groups and the council to make this happen quickly and effectively and literally hundreds were helped off the streets overnight. — But now, as the country comes out of lockdown, they face one of their biggest challenges in their 40-year history – how to prevent hundreds of homeless people that have been helped off the streets during the pandemic from returning to the streets once the crisis subsides.
