Shelter (charity)

Shelter is a registered charity that campaigns for housing justice as Shelter in England and as Shelter Scotland in Scotland. It gives advice, information, and advocacy to people and campaigns, and lobbies government and local authorities for new laws and policies. It works in partnership with Shelter Cymru in Wales and the Housing Rights Service in Northern Ireland. The charity was founded in 1966 and raised 81.3 million pounds in 2023/24.

History

Shelter was launched on 1 December 1966, evolving out of the work on behalf of homeless people then being carried on in Notting Hill in London. The launch of Shelter hugely benefited from the coincidental screening, in November 1966, of the BBC television play Cathy Come Home ten days before Shelter's launch. It was written by Jeremy Sandford and directed by Ken Loach – and highlighted the plight of the homeless in Britain. Shelter was set up by the Rev Bruce Kenrick after forming the Notting Hill Housing Trust in 1963. The social campaigner Des Wilson, having seen Cathy Come Home, became pivotal in the development of Shelter. Bishop Eamon Casey was also a founder of Shelter while chaplain to Irish diaspora in London. Following the success of its English counterpart, launched in 1966, Shelter brought its campaign north of the Border to Scotland in October 1968.

Union Action

In 2008, Shelter saw strike action by its staff in response to changes being made to their terms and conditions. Another dispute, this time over pay, occurred in 2022 prompting a two-week strike.

thumb|The Shelter headquarters in [[Old Street, London]]

Financial information

For the year ended March 2024 (England)

Total income: £81,331,000
Total expenditure: £82,654,000
Fundraising costs: £18,569,000
Total cost of charitable activities: £49,481,000
Total charity funds: £22,871,000

Sources of funding

England:

55% from donations and legacies
13% from Shelter shops
30% from funded advice and support
2% from training and publications

thumb|right|The NatWest Tower (Tower 42) viewed from 50th floor of [[8 Bishopsgate on 28 February 2024, the date of the "Vertical Rush" charity stair climb event]]

An annual charity fundraising event called Vertical Rush takes place inside London's former NatWest Tower (officially Tower 42). It is a vertical run of 932 steps to the top of the tower. The 2024 event, raising money for Shelter, took place on 28 February.