How Using A Temporary Warehouse Well Can Save Christmas

For the majority of people, Christmas is a time of fun and merriment, twinkling lights, a big roast dinner and presents under the tree. But sadly it is not like that for everyone.

For some, Christmas is a grim time, especially for those who are struggling to make ends meet and will not be able to provide the kinds of gifts for their children and other loved ones that they would want. For others, such as the homeless, the illuminations and town centre Christmas markets mean nothing when they have no place to call their own.

However, there will be many charities busily at work seeking to help those in need, from homeless charities that have been helping those living on the streets or in hostels for many years, through to food banks that aim to help those struggling to put food on the table.

In either case, acquiring a pop-up warehouse can be an extremely useful way of ensuring storage space for the food, toiletries and other items that may be donated to help those in need.

For example, Fare Share South West has opened its own emergency warehouse to stock items given by the public and food producers as part of its Christmas appeal. These are in turn distributed to a range of different charities across the region, from Cornwall to Bristol.

Given the geographical size of the region (Bristol is closer to Manchester than it is to Land’s End), plenty of storage space will be needed, as well as the means to move goods a long way to the individual charities it is supporting. It will also need a lot of space to deal with a major influx of items if the public is being especially generous.

The work being done by Fare Share South West is by definition just that of one charity in one part of the country. It estimates around 14 million people suffer from food insecurity in the UK, so it will be safe to say that the need for temporary warehousing space to meet the needs of people who use charities and food banks across the UK.

Homelessness charities may similarly need warehousing space to stock up for their seasonal appeals. Some of these are very well established, such as Crisis at Christmas, which has been running a campaign to help the homeless every Christmas since 1967.

However, the volume of help these charities are giving is increasing in line with growing needs. Crisis at Christmas states that the number of people sleeping rough on England’s streets has risen by 26 per cent in the past year.

The organisation is responding by taking over three hotels in London alone to accommodate rough sleepers over the festive period, and helping 7,000 people in total.

Other charities will also be helping the homeless, whether with catering facilities, the provision of medical and dental treatment or more support to get off the streets. They, too, may benefit from getting pop-up warehouses exactly where they need them, to ensure they can provide the support to make Christmas better for those least fortunate.