Campions Group is targeting more than 8,000 coat donations this winter as Chestertons and Chase Buchanan branches across London become collection points for the Calling London Winter Coat Drive.
The estate agency group helped collect a record 6,000 coats last year and is aiming to increase donations by at least a third during this year’s campaign.
Collection points will operate across participating Chestertons and Chase Buchanan branches until 21 November, accepting clean winter coats and jackets for adults, children and babies.
Campions Group has supported Calling London through its agency brands since 2013, when 200 coats were collected during its first year of involvement.
HOW IT STARTED
The Winter Coat Drive grew out of a conversation between Calling London founder Frances Manthos and a group of friends during the winter of 2010.
They were concerned about Londoners struggling to keep warm, from children arriving at school without winter coats to older people and those sleeping rough.
Their idea was simple: encourage Londoners to donate coats they no longer needed, sort them and pass them directly to organisations supporting people who did.
Manthos launched the first Winter Coat Drive in November 2011 and Campions Group’s involvement through its agency brands began two years later.
In that first year of support, 200 coats were collected. Last year the total reached a record 6,000.
Calling London remains run entirely by volunteers, with donated coats distributed through charities, shelters, foodbanks and community organisations across the capital.
Manthos says: “The Winter Coat Drive started with a simple belief that Londoners want to help one another. Many of us have coats sitting in wardrobes that we no longer wear, while others face winter without one.
“The support we receive from organisations like Chestertons and Chase Buchanan is invaluable. Their branch networks help us reach communities across London and make donating easy for thousands of people every year.”
RECORD TARGET
Teams from Chestertons and Chase Buchanan will also help Calling London volunteers sort donations before they are distributed to organisations supporting families, refugees, older people, survivors of domestic abuse and people experiencing homelessness.
Richard Davies, UK Director of Operations at Campions Group, says: “Campions Group is proud to support the Winter Coat Drive and play a small part in helping local people stay warm this winter.
“This year, we hope to help the campaign surpass last year’s incredible achievement of collecting 6,000 coats, ensuring even more people can access essential warm clothing during the colder months.”
