Donations
Camrose relies upon donations from our supporters to be able to help those in great need. Our requirements at any one time do vary, due to our limited storage capacity and the seasons. PLEASE CHECK OUR AMAZON WISHLIST OR OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OUR CURRENT NEEDS as we really hate having to decline items that are offered with the best of intentions!
If you would like to donate to The Camrose Centre then the items listed below are the sort of things that we can almost always use. Please contact us for more information to arrange a drop off if you can help.
Food
As you would expect, we get through a lot of food. The things that we need most fall broadly into four categories:
Food Packs for Rough Sleepers
Food that can be eaten with little or no preparation. Good options include:
- Tins (with ring-pulls!) of soup, baked beans, beans and sausages, spaghetti, stew, chilli con carne, fruit, etc.
- Individually wrapped biscuits (Kit-Kats, Penguins, etc.) and cereal bars
- Crisps, nuts, Pepperoni and similar snacks
- Any sort of Pot Noodles, instant noodles or similar
- Cup-a-Soups
- Canned drinks, small juice cartons and bottled water
Meat
We welcome any meats that we can freeze and use in the hot meals we provide during drop-in sessions:
- Chicken portions
- Mince
- Sausages
Store Cupboard Supplies for Hot Meals
- Fresh and canned vegetables
- Rice, pasta and instant mashed potato
- Cook-in sauces and Pasta Sauces
- Salt, pepper, herbs and spices
- Canned fruit, custard, rice pudding, etc. that can be used in desserts
Breakfast Bar items
- Packets of cereal
- Hot drinks – Tea bags, instant coffee, hot chocolate powder, sugar (and biscuits to go with them)
- UHT milk
- Cold drinks – long-life fruit juice and squash
- Things to go on toast – Jam, marmalade, Marmite, etc.
We welcome cash donations to help run the centre. Individuals can donate online using the button. For corporate donations, please contact us for our bank details
Clothing
We’re always in need of clothing – it’s impossible for the homeless to launder clothes in Basingstoke, so there is a constant demand for casual clothing. Please bear in mind that the majority of our clients are young, male and slim (we very rarely need anything larger than a 32″ waist). Even if you’re homeless you’ll still want to dress appropriately for your age, so unfortunately there isn’t much demand for button-up shirts and smart trousers!
- Jeans – Ideally in a 32″ waist or occasionally 34″ – very few of our clients are any larger than this
- Jogging bottoms – in sizes Small/Medium/Large
- Coats – pretty much anything waterproof is good
- Trainers and Boots – Ideally in size 8/9/10, which covers most of our clients
Camping Gear
As you would imagine, there is a constant demand for camping gear from clients that don’t have a roof over their heads. We can always use:
- Sleeping bags and ground mats
- Tents
- Rucksacks
- Thermos flasks
Our aim is to promote fulfilling lifestyles, emotional wellbeing and support long-term changes for those experiencing the effects of homelessness, mental and physical ill-health, poverty, substance misuse, domestic violence, unemployment, exploitation and social isolation.
