I am so pleased to announce that Carriers of Hope have identified the specific project that me running this marathon is going to raise money for. And the winner is...

Clothing Coventry!




I'm really excited about this project, not least because it's something amazing that's come out of COVID. During the pandemic, Carriers of Hope found themselves more in demand than ever, but perhaps surprisingly there was a huge demand for warm clothes and shoes. 

You may not remember this far back, but at the start of the pandemic, nobody was quite sure how it spread, and whether people donating clothes would unleash havoc on the world. Many groups used to provide clothes, but stopped due to COVID restrictions.

But Carriers of Hope not only had lots of clothes, but those clothes had also been hanging around the warehouse for a while, so they were obviously COVID safe. Carriers were able to provide clothes to not just asylum seekers and refugees, but also others who needed them.

This went so well that Carriers of Hope were approached by other agencies within the city to help with a more permanent strategy to get clothes to people who needed it, and so, Clothing Coventry was born.

Clothing Coventry is already helping many vulnerable people. Many homeless people have been placed in Hotels and temporary accommodation.. Many have only clothes for one season. One man arrived in Coventry in only flip flops, shorts, and a t-shirt.  Clothing Coventry are working with partner organisations across Coventry.

How It Works

Clothes will be available for anyone in need (not just refugees and asylum seekers) at various hubs around the city. Currently the following hubs have been identified.

• 3 temporary accommodation hotels  
• 4 food hubs,  
• 8 Social Services Family Hubs 
• Hostel for asylum seeker mothers and babies. 
• Domestic Violence Hostel 
• 3 churches 

And that's just for starters :)