How We're Helping the Crisis at Christmas Appeal

Bensons for Beds has proudly partnered with Crisis in a bid to put an end to homelessness since December 2022. And this year is no different. Together Crisis and Bensons will work towards the goal of helping someone start a life beyond homelessness. We will work towards this by utilising our large network and presence across the country to engage both customers and Bensons employees with Crisis and their work to end homelessness. 

Scroll on to learn how you could get involved in supporting Crisis this Christmas. 

What is the Crisis at Christmas Appeal?  

Since 1967, the Crisis at Christmas charity appeal has been supporting people who are experiencing homelessness at Christmas.   

Year after year, Crisis mobilise a unique volunteering effort to provide warmth, companionship, and vital services to people facing homelessness at one of the toughest times of the year.  

Nearly a quarter of a million households across England are now experiencing the worst forms of homelessness. That includes rough sleeping, sofa surfing and staying in unsuitable temporary accommodation such as Bed & Breakfasts.   

Rough sleeping alone has increased in England by 27% in the last year.  

This year, Crisis will again be providing hotel rooms across London for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough over Christmas. Combined with many more who will receive support through Crisis day centres in London and frontline services across Britain, Crisis will be supporting more than 6,000 people experiencing homelessness this Christmas.  

But it’s important to understand that the support Crisis provides over this period is not a temporary fix. And usually the first day someone spends with Crisis this Christmas isn’t the last. The Crisis Christmas services work alongside the specialist support they provide all year, including helping people facing homelessness to find their own stable home, to access education and training.   

How are Bensons helping this year? 

We’re keen to do our bit in helping to support Crisis at Christmas this year, and so we’re offering two separate ways for Bensons customers to get involved. 

First of all, we shall be running an offer through December. This will run from 4th December right through until midnight on 31st December. Anyone who purchases a Slumberland mattress during this time will automatically have £5 of their purchase donated to the Crisis at Christmas Appeal.  

Yes, this includes all of our Slumberland mattresses including the award-winning Flip mattress for teens, our award winning Slumberland Duo Summer/Winter mattress, and our award winning Slumberland Air memory mattresses. So, whatever your sleep preferences may be, there’s a Slumberland mattress for you at Bensons for Beds. 

Secondly, we’ll be collecting and accepting Crisis donations at all of our Bensons for Beds stores. Wondering what you can donate? Scroll down and we’ll share all. 

Crisis donations  

This year, Crisis is looking for donations of several different items. They will use the items donated to spread Christmas cheer and ensure that any of their members visiting Crisis for a meal and company over the Christmas period have essential supplies.  

Donations of the following items are much needed:  

• Men's clothing and footwear - must be warm and in excellent condition 

• Brand new men's underwear 

• Gift cards or gift vouchers e.g. Greggs, Costa Coffee, Tesco 

• Unused, quality gifts e.g. men’s toiletry packs, men's spray deodorants, belts, backpacks and thermos flasks 

• Lunch box style snacks e.g. crisps, chocolates, biscuits, nuts (always non-perishable and alcohol free)   

For more info, head to the Crisis Website and check out their Christmas wishlist.  

We will be collecting donations from our Bensons customers in ALL of our stores.  

Key dates  

Bensons customers will be able to start dropping off donations from 16th November in any of our Bensons for Beds stores.  

The donations will then be collected by our logistics team from all of the Bensons for beds stores on 12th December. This means that the last chance for you to be able to donate to the Crisis at Christmas appeal via Bensons for Beds will be 11th December.   

We need your help 

The reality is that over 250,000 households will be sleeping rough, sofa surfing, or stuck in unsuitable temporary accommodation this Christmas.  

The combination of soaring rents, a lack of social housing and the increase in the cost of living is forcing more people into homelessness. People can be stuck homeless in temporary accommodation for months or even years, far from their jobs, schools, and support networks. Many struggle to plan as they can be moved at anytime.      

So, this Christmas, we are supporting Crisis in their campaign to provide food, shelter and support for people enduring the harshest forms of homelessness.   

And there are three very practical ways you can get help, too: by donating urgently needed items in-store, purchasing a Slumberland mattress between 4th – 31st December, or buying a gift online.  

Drop-off donations in store can be made at any Bensons for Beds location.  

And for those who want to buy a gift online, these is an online wish-list. This is an easy way to make sure you’re giving the items that Crisis needs most. And because they get shipped directly to Crisis, this option makes your gift giving as efficient and effective as possible. View the Crisis at Christmas Appeal online wishlist here. 

We’d like to thank everyone for their support in advance this year, while extending our gratitude to those customers who have made donations in previous years too. Thank you and Merry Christmas from all of us here at Bensons for Beds.