Pembroke College JCR Raise Over £400 for Oxford Homelessness Charity – The Porch

The following article is written by Pembroke undergraduate and JCR Charities Representative, Isabel Smith (Experimental Psychology, 2015).

The JCR recently hosted a fundraising evening in support of The Porch, a homelessness charity based in Oxford.  As JCR Charities Representative, I am happy to say that through this event we have raised over £400 for this cause!

The Porch day centre provides a stepping stone to those who are homeless or vulnerably housed and who want to move forward in their lives, away from street-life and addiction.  They encourage their members to tackle the issues that prevent them from moving forwards, concentrating on housing, health, wellbeing, education and employment. The charity provides healthy food, practical help, companionship, learning skills, work-related skills and opportunities for development. 

The JCR’s link with The Porch was established when Chaplain Andrew Teal contacted the JCR President about his work as trustee of the charity. He joined us at the event along with the CEO of Porch Jon Fitzpatrick, Project Advisor Esperansa Collado González and Chairperson Leslie Rhodes. Leslie gave a short speech on the work of The Porch, focusing on what it means to have a home and how they at The Porch aim to provide a home to their members.

The number of homeless on our streets is rising at an alarming rate. We are therefore motivated to support The Porch in any way that we can.