Cambridge Street Aid is an award winning initiative which provides practical help to people who live or have lived on the streets.

Find out about our Street Aid Week campaign to help you understand why there are rough sleepers in the city, how we and our partners support them, and how you can help.

There are many reasons why people beg on the street – each person has their own story to tell. Many of us instinctively want to give money to someone who we think needs our help.

But giving cash to people on the streets can actually keep them there for longer.

If you want to help, Street Aid gives you an alternative to handing money to people on the street. We raise a grant fund from your donations, to which people who live or have lived on the streets can apply.

Each grant helps somebody find accommodation and move off the streets. It’s a meaningful sum that will make a real difference to their life. Every single penny you donate goes into the grant fund.

Cambridge Street Aid works alongside support agencies including Jimmy’s Night Shelter, Wintercomfort, Cambridge Cyrenians, and Riverside to help people leave the street behind.

Since Street Aid started in 2016, you have helped raise more than £170,000. This has enabled us to give more than 500 grants to help people get off, and stay off, the streets.

You can help. To find out more, visit the Cambridge Street Aid website.

The Cambridgeshire Community Foundation administers Street Aid.

Donate

You can make donations on Street Aid’s Just Giving page or by text.

To donate £3 by text, send “STREETAID 3” to 70085 – this will cost £3 plus your standard message rate, and will be paid via your phone bill. You can amend the number in the message to donate a different amount.

You can also donate at one of Street Aid’s contactless giving points:

• Anglia Ruskin University
• Grafton Centre
• Grafton West car park
• Grand Arcade
• Mandela House, Regent Street
• Queen Anne Terrace car park
• St Barnabus Church

Street Aid Week

To help raise awareness and funds, Cambridge Street Aid hold an annual Street Aid Week in October. 

Become a Street Aid Champion

If you’re inspired by the work Street Aid is doing, you can get involved as a volunteer Street Aid Champion.

Champions help raise money and awareness for Street Aid, by holding and taking part in events in their workplace, university or local community.

You can give as much or as little time as you want to. You’ll be given all the training, support and materials you need.

If you’d like to volunteer, find out more and download an application form from the Cambridge Street Aid website.

Cambridge Street Aid is managed by the Cambridge City Council Community Safety Team.