Over 61,500 people are now legally classified as homeless in Northern IrelandHomelessness charity, Simon Community’s new Dine & Donate campaign is inviting pubs, restaurants, and cafés to add a £1 donation to selected menu items

A new hospitality campaign aiming to support people without a home this Christmas has been launched with the hope of making a “life-changing difference” in NI.

Homelessness charity, Simon Community’s new Dine & Donate campaign is inviting pubs, restaurants, and cafés to add a £1 donation to selected menu items, with all funds raised going to Simon Community’s work with people experiencing homelessness. Over 61,500 people are now legally classified as homeless in Northern Ireland – one in every 31 people.

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Simon Community hopes to sign up 100 hospitality venues across Northern Ireland, to raise a target of £25,000 throughout December, funding emergency accommodation, food vouchers, and vital support services during one of the toughest times of the year.

Commenting on the launch, Ann McGregor, board member of Simon Community, said: “Behind every statistic is a real person – someone’s neighbour, colleague or family member – who won’t have a safe place to call home this Christmas.

“By supporting our Dine & Donate campaign, hospitality businesses will help us provide shelter, warmth and food to those who need it most.

Whitney Rowan, Galgorm Collection; Jarron O’Neill Watson, 2 Taps Tapas Bar; Jamie Mendez, Little Wing; Ann McGregor, board member, Simon Community; Andy Carson, Bullitt; Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster; and Bill Wolsey, Beannchor; launch Simon Community’s Dine & Donate campaign

“We’re asking 100 venues across Northern Ireland to join us in showing the power of our world-famous hospitality – and what we can achieve when we come together.”

How Dine & Donate will work:

  • Venues choose one or more menu items or drinks to include in the campaign.
  • For every item purchased, £1 is donated to Simon Community.
  • Just £150 raised by a single venue could provide safe accommodation and an emergency food voucher for a family living in temporary housing for a week.

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster who is backing the campaign, added: “Hospitality is at the heart of our communities, especially during the busy festive season.

“This campaign gives bars, restaurants, and cafes a simple way to be part of something that will make a real difference to the lives of local people.

“We’re proud to support Simon Community and we encourage venues across the country to sign up to the Dine & Donate campaign.”

Some of the best-known names in hospitality are already on board, including the Beannchor Group (Little Wing Pizzeria, The National, Bullitt Hotel, The Dirty Onion), the Galgorm Collection (Café Parisien and Fratelli), and 2Taps tapas bar in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter.

Venues interested in joining the campaign can sign-up by contacting Rebekah Barr by email at rebekahbarr@simoncommunity.org

Details of participating venues will be released in November, ahead of the campaign going live on 1 December

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