The Magpie Project have been announced as one of the three winners of the London Homelessness Awards 2019. We asked them to give us some facts and figures about their project.
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11 things you didn’t know about the Magpie Project but were afraid to ask…
- Some 350 families have been helped by Magpie Project in just 2 years. That’s more three every week.
- The largest number of families to arrive for help in one day was 62.
- The project name was kind of an accident, and has no real meaning, but we love it anyway.
- Because nappy poverty is horrific, we give out around 1,800 packs of nappies to families in need each year.
- We serve more than 2,520 hot, healthy, vegetarian meals per year.
- Some of our mums have zero income; many are trying to survive on £34 per person per week.
- Among our volunteers we can boast an OBE, two retired nursery school heads, a local councillor and a retired midwife.
- At least six of our mums have gone on to volunteer with us to help others.
- Our Magpie minis are the most beautiful babies in the whole of Newham, perhaps even London.
- Some 20% of our mums are “sofa-surfing” often with people they don’t know very well. They do not show up on homelessness figures – so are hidden from help.
- 21 babies have been born into the project. Our special magpie babies! How many have been named after the founder or staff? Zero, that’s how many! Zero. Our hints are falling on deaf ears!
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The first prize of £30000 and two runners up prizes of £20000 and £10000 will be announced by Deputy Mayor James Murray at a special ceremony at City Hall on October 17th. For more information about the shortlisted projects go to www.lhawards.org.uk and follow us @lhawards
