Watch Chris' Daily Updates Covid-19 and the Homeless Watch NowPeter Howarth – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (Unplugged)Our Ambassador Peter Howarth, lead singer of The Hollies supports The Howarth FoundationOur Ambassador Peter Howarth of The Hollies supports The Howarth FoundationListen NowWe help people who are, or have recently beenhomeless find employment Can you help someone take the next stepBecome an Employer Become a Fundraiser ... it’s easier than you think! Raise money and make a difference to peoples lives Become a Fundraiser We’ve secured employment 22 previously homeless people We’ve placed 23 into training We’ve successfully referred 16 people into housing assessment Remain in meaningful employment Become an Employer Give the gift of employment Become a Fundraiser It’s easier than you think Become a Volunteer Do something incredible Latest News HomepageNational Lottery FundingA charity founded by the family behind an established Yorkshire HR, employment law and health and safety consultancy to help get people recovering from addiction and homelessness back into employment has been awarded a five-figure support grant from The National Lottery Community Fund. The Howarth Foundation, founded by Howarths, has been awarded the £43,000 grant from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, to help grow the reach of its services across Kirklees and Leeds. Since launching in February 2017, The Howarth Foundation has secured employment for more than 23 previously homeless individuals at some of the region’s best-known employers including The John Smith’s Stadium, Leeds United Football Club and Ringways Motor Group. The charity’s Business Building Futures – Street2Feet membership programme matches its clients, many of whom have led previously chaotic lifestyles and have often experienced homelessness, with businesses who are able to provide jobs across Kirklees and Leeds. The programme has also successfully placed over 23 previously homeless people into skills training and supported a large number with referrals for housing assessment. Andy Howarth, CEO at The Howarth Foundation, explained: “The concept of our Business Building Futures – Street2Feet programme is simple but effective. By marrying up the skills of our clients looking for work, with local businesses able to offer employment, we’re not only supporting people who have been homeless with a second chance at life, but also helping to reduce the burden on the tax payer by finding employment for those who might otherwise be totally reliant upon state benefit, or even worse, end up back on the street committing or becoming a victim of crime. Gavin Howarth, MD at Howarths and Chair of Trustees at The Howarth Foundation, added: “Our charity is entirely self-funded and relies heavily on fundraising events to generate income, so the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant financial impact. The money from The National Lottery Community fund will ensure we remain financially stable for at least the next six months and will be a huge support in ensuring we can continue to grow the reach of our work to help even more people across Kirklees and Leeds.” Funding for the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, was made available from The Office of Civil Society, part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. *Press Release Published by Alex Mason PR... Read more...These Boots Are Made For WalkingTHF is feeling the impact of the COVID 19 crises and, just like many other third sector businesses, is chasing its tail trying to keep afloat financially. Most of our fund raising events have been either cancelled or postponed and when making fund raising bids, we are competing against every other charity in the UK and regrettably all the businesses that have supported us in the past are also struggling to some degree. THF team has worked hard over the last three years and we are determined that we will survive. Andy, Natalie and Chris refuse to let all their hard work go to the wall and are feeling as positive as ever but could do with a bit of help from our friends who we would love to join us on Sunday 20th September 2020 for a walk along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Saltaire to Bingley and back, a leisurely distance of 8 miles. Bring the kids, the dog, your partner, someone else’s partner or someone else’s dog, invite other members of your family and friends, invite your staff to take part, bring a picnic and make this a proper family day out whilst supporting The Howarth Foundation. All we ask is that you get as much sponsorship as possible, but if you all came and got sponsored for £50 per person you could help us stay afloat for another month or two. To confirm the details are: Date: 20th September 2020 Time: 10.00am Location: Meeting in Saltaire at Salts Mill, walking along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to the Five Rise Locks then back to Saltaire. The route should take 3-4 hours approx. Any amount raised no matter how big or small will be a lifeline to our charity. If you can’t take part but wish to sponsor Andy, Chris or myself then please do so via the donation page on the THF website or BACS. We have recently added a new ‘message’ function to the donation page, meaning that people donating/sponsoring can include a little note to say what the donation is for and who they are sponsoring if it is for a particular event, so please do leave us a message! Hope you can join us! We really do need your help 😊... Read more...The Howarth Foundation Quiz NightThe Howarth Foundation would like to invite you to the quiz night at Revell Ward Suite, The John Smiths Stadium, Huddersfield on Thursday 1st October 2020 at 6pm. Teams of 6 will go head to head in this ‘pub style’ quiz which will test your general knowledge and ability to work together as a team. The night will be one of fun but have you got a competitive streak to be crowned the 2020 winner and take on last year’s champions? All money raised will be in aid of The Howarth Foundation and the homeless clients which are supported in to employment across Kirklees and Leeds. Price: £250.00 per team of 6 Complimentary food on arrival and a paid drinks bar will be available on the evening. Please feel free to take part in the raffle on the night too with some great prizes up for grabs, also a prize will be awarded to the best team name so get your thinking caps on! Question 1 – Will the Stadium be open to host the event? The events business at The John Smith’s Stadium is part of the hospitality sector and as such is adhering to all the same guidelines as hotels, restaurants, cafes and pubs. All of these sectors are now open for business and the Stadium is now therefore actively open for business. Question 2 – Will numbers be limited? We expect that the size of events we are able to hold will also steadily rise over the coming weeks, as infection rates continue to fall. From a THF perspective, we are looking for the event to be more intimate, with a maximum of 80-90 people attending. Question 3 – Can we still social distance at such event? The Stadium is of course, particularly well placed to facilitate social distancing, because of the size and number of suites they have: their Revell Ward Suite for instance can hold up to 350 people on tables of ten. It is therefore very easy to socially distance smaller groups, both around large tables and by spacing out the tables. Question 4 – What will happen if the event is cancelled? THF is confident that the event will go ahead on the date and time arranged, if for any reason it cannot we will offer an alternative date or a refund of your money. Andy, Chris and I would love for you all to be there for a night of fun, laughter and a feel of getting back to ‘normality’. You never know your team may even win! To confirm details of the night – Date: 1th October 2020 Venue: Revell Ward Suite, The John Smith’s Stadium Time: 6pm start Price: £250.00 per team of 6 Contact Natalie on natalie@howarthfoundation.org.uk to place your team in the running.... Read more...Chris Sylvester Marks One Year at The Howarth FoundationLess than three years ago today Chris Sylvester hit rock bottom. The previous 24 years of Chris’ life was spent lurching between prison and homelessness whilst in the grips of life long heroin addiction. Today marks Chris’ 1st anniversary in full time employment at The Howarth Foundation as Client Coordinator, his first ‘real’ job since entering recovery on the St Georges Crypt, Growing Rooms programme. CEO of The Howarth Foundation, Andy Howarth said “Natalie and I engaged with Chris in the very early stages of his recovery and saw something in him that we felt very special. He demonstrated many transferable skills and we decided in those initial meetings that he had great potential.” Chris has been furloughed since April 2020 but THF is pleased to announce that Chris will be back working for 1 day per week as of 6th July 2020. Chris’ role will include sourcing individuals who are ready to take the next step back into employment, working in partnership with those providing support and addressing the immediate needs of the homeless. Congratulations Chris!... Read more...6th Annual Music ExtravaganzaThis year will be our 6th annual Music Extravaganza, the planning of which, we are ploughing ahead with despite the restrictions that we face at present; we want everyone to have something to look forward to once this terrible time is over, so intend to make this event bigger and better than ever! Now is the time that, as a small charity, we desperately need your support. Events like the Music Extravaganza are what allow us to do the work which we do – supporting the homeless and vulnerable in Leeds and Kirklees, taking them on a journey from Street2Feet, offering and supporting each person with meaningful, sustainable employment. I’m sure you will agree, the current pandemic is likely to cause more people to be at risk of homelessness and poverty, the numbers will rise and our service will be more vital than ever in the months to come but by purchasing a table, we can make sure that our service survives this storm and help all those who will be desperate to get back on their feet The Music Extravaganza will be held at the fabulous John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield this year on 6th November 2020, with amazing live music, delicious food and a night of fun and laughter! To avoid missing out on such a great night to raise funds for The Howarth Foundation, book your table now! Table Prices £600.00 for a table of 10 £720.00 for a table of 12 If buying a table isn’t for you then we have advertising opportunities in our brochure which will be received by over 200 guests on the evening, please ask for further details – natalie@howarthfoundation.org.uk.... Read more...Leeds Community Foundation FundingLeeds Community Foundation supports charities and voluntary groups across Leeds in addressing inequalities and working together to help create opportunities for those that most need help. I was delighted when we received information that a new grant ‘Leeds Community Foundation Resilience Fund’ had opened to support small charities in the wake of Covid-19 and were invited to apply. The uncertain times that we have all found ourselves in has had a massive impact on our charity and we have found ourselves in very strange times, one which we were unsure as to how it was going to pan out. The Howarth Foundation had to halt the day to day operations of assisting our homeless clients back into employment by furloughing all members of the team until we knew more about the pandemic and the effect that this was having on the homeless individuals in Leeds as well as our partner agencies. It was amazing to hear about the particular round of funding and we applied for a grant so that we could resume our day to day activities, keep helping those that need our support, give a helping hand to partner agencies who are certainly under a lot of pressure to meet the immediate needs of the homeless and provide some certainty that THF was still very much in the mix. I would like to say a massive thank you to Leeds Community Foundation for awarding us the grant and allowing Natalie, General Manager, to get back at the helm alongside myself to make sure that we come out of this stronger than ever and ready to continue making a difference to those looking to make that change from Street2Feet. Andy Howarth... Read more...Peter Howarth – He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (Unplugged)Our Ambassador Peter Howarth, lead singer of the legendary sixties iconic pop band The Hollies supports The Howarth Foundation. The song is about reaching out and helping mankind. “Peter and I have been friends for many years and although we share the same surname, he ain’t heavy and he’s not my brother’ just a lovely man and great friend.” – Andy Howarth Peter Howarth, lead singer of the legendary 60’s pop band will be appearing on the Andrew Phillips show, Premier Christian Radio between 11am and 12 noon Wednesday 6th May singing and playing unplugged ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ and will be promoting, as our ambassador, The Howarth Foundation and the work that we do. Peter Howarth – He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother (Unplugged). Video by HowarthMiller... Read more...Portable Offices’ Leeds depot raises life-changing funds for The Howarth FoundationPortable Offices at Highcliffe Industrial Estate, Bruntcliffe Lane, Leeds has raised £1000 for the Howarth Foundation – a charity that supports local homeless and recently re-housed jobless people by getting them back into work. Portable Offices established a variety of fundraising activities throughout 2019/20 and the Leeds office team were delighted to achieve a landmark figure of £1000. This will go to fund the valuable support the Howarth Foundation provides to local homeless and vulnerable people including the charity’s ‘Business Building Futures – Street 2 Feet’ initiative which supports homeless individuals getting back into full or part time employment or training. Established by the Howarth family three and a half years ago, the charity works with individuals to provide food, clothing and rehabilitation where needed and identifies opportunities for them within local businesses and authorities. Founder, Andy Howarth, commented: “We are delighted with the donation from Portable Offices which is a massive injection for a charity of our size which receives no state funding. “We have established some great relationships with local businesses who are working in a caring and compassionate manner with us to help place a growing number of former street people. It is vital that our business partners understand the challenges that lie ahead and that we can correctly identify the appropriate individuals for any openings within local businesses or authorities. The Howarth Foundation has helped a growing number of street people back into mainstream society including three individuals now working for Leeds United Football Club – one of their business partners. Portable Offices’ Managing Director, Adrian Witty, who lives in Leeds, commented: “We are delighted to have made a significant contribution to such a worthwhile cause and we wish the Howarth Foundation continued success.” Pictured: Chris Sylvester from The Howarth Foundation with Becky Scholefield, Depot Manager at Portable Offices’ Leeds Branch.... Read more...THF Feature on Kirklees Local TVThe Howarth Foundation Founder Andy Howarth, and General Manager Natalie Wells featured on this week’s episode of Kirklees Local Television’s The Business Programme.... Read more...Join the teamDo you have the personality and confidence to talk to decision makers in a business and, most importantly, would you like to feel that you have a difference to someone’s life? We are looking for an Events Coordinator to join our team! The Howarth Foundation is a charity based in Cleckheaton that assist the homeless, or recently re-housed in Leeds and Kirklees into meaningful employment and training. We are a small family charity and have produced some fantastic achievements, you as our Event Coordinator could be a vital part of the growth and development of the charity, taking us to that next stage! With you on board you will be helping our clients take ‘The Next Step’ back into mainstream society. The bigger we can build our team, through events raising much needed funds for The Howarth Foundation, the more impact we can have on the local community, making our reach even wider. By joining our team we would like you to meet with members of our Business Building Futures scheme to discuss fundraising initiatives and assist with putting events together. Our Business Building Futures members are businesses of all sizes and you will be meeting with owners and decision makers. As a valued member of our team we will provide you with training. We would like you to work full time but if this does not work for you then we would possibly look at a part time role, giving you flexibility. Does this sound like you: Confident, friendly and outgoing? Wants to learn new skills? Wants to make a difference? Wants to be part of a team? Are motivated by achievement? If the answer is YES then what are you waiting for call Natalie now on 01274 864999 or email natalie@howarthfoundation.org.uk to arrange a chat and cuppa.... Read more... Lacie’s Story Dominic’s Story Scott’s Journey Chris’ Journey Gavin’s Journey “Scott is a very positive member of the team and although he is still working through some of his previous experiences this has not affected or has been a concern to the business in anyway. I am delighted with Scott and proud to have taken the decision to move out of my comfort zone for the greater good.” Steve Russell Managing Director The Howarth Foundation 5 2019-09-06T11:38:25+00:00 “Scott is a very positive member of the team and although he is still working through some of his previous experiences this has not affected or has been a concern to the business in anyway. I am delighted with Scott and proud to have taken the decision to move out of my comfort zone for the greater good.” Steve Russell Managing Director https://howarthfoundation.org.uk/testimonials/ringways/ “We have worked closely with The Howarth Foundation during Gavin’s first three months at LUFC, and following a successful review, he will become a full-time team member in 2019” Leeds United Foundation The Howarth Foundation 5 2019-09-06T11:39:52+00:00 “We have worked closely with The Howarth Foundation during Gavin’s first three months at LUFC, and following a successful review, he will become a full-time team member in 2019” Leeds United Foundation https://howarthfoundation.org.uk/testimonials/leeds-united-foundation/ 5 2 The Howarth Foundation Our Ambassador Our Wonderful Partners Natalie and I were so proud to be a part of the National Family Business Awards held at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 14th July and… we won two awards; Family Business of the Year and, for our charitable work helping the homeless and guiding them back into employment and or training, the Big Heart Award. Natalie and I are passionate about our work and genuinely don’t look for reward so it was such a shock for us to be presented with such a prestigious award in the National Arena. A big thank you to all of you who believed in us and have supported us on our journey.