In brief: The Shelter Trust’s 18th annual Tinathon returns to West’s Centre on Friday, running from 8am to 2.30pm, the day before World Homeless Day. Islanders are urged to bring tins and non-perishable food to support the charity, which houses around 100 people each night across seven sites.
Jersey’s Tin Army Assembles for the 18th Time
There are few better illustrations of Jersey’s community spirit than a few thousand tins of baked beans being hauled across St Helier in the name of charity. The Shelter Trust’s Tinathon, now in its 18th year, returns to West’s Centre this Friday, and the organisers are hoping Islanders will once again dig deep into their kitchen cupboards.
The collection runs from 8am to 2.30pm, timed deliberately to fall the day before World Homeless Day. Schools, businesses, community groups and individuals are all invited to bring tins and other non-perishable food, which will be used to stock Shelter Trust kitchens and provide food parcels for Islanders in need.
Twenty-one schools have confirmed their participation, comprising 13 primary schools and eight secondary schools. School choirs and local groups will provide live music during the morning, giving the event a festive atmosphere that belies the serious cause behind it.
The Scale of Homelessness in Jersey
It is easy to overlook homelessness on an island as prosperous as Jersey, but the Shelter Trust’s figures put the issue in sharp relief. The charity supports around 100 men, women and young adults in accommodation across seven sites every single night. Its services span emergency accommodation, dedicated provision for women and young adults, outreach and day services, and aftercare and resettlement support for those who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.
Shelter Trust director Josephine Scott was keen to stress both the community value of the event and its role in raising awareness. “Tinathon is one of those days when you really see Jersey’s community spirit in action,” she told the Jersey Evening Post. “A few tins might seem like a small contribution, but when schools, workplaces, families and individuals across the Island all get involved, it makes an enormous difference.”
She added that homelessness in Jersey was “not always visible,” and that the timing alongside World Homeless Day served as “a timely reminder that homelessness exists here in our own community.”
How to Get Involved
For those who cannot make it to West’s Centre on Friday, there are several other ways to contribute. Donations can be made at Co-op Grand Marché in St Helier throughout the whole of October. Waitrose, Alliance, M&S and Communicare are accepting donations until 9 October. Businesses are also being encouraged to organise workplace collections ahead of the event.
The Tinathon is sponsored by LGT Wealth Management, which is backing the event for a second consecutive year. The firm’s chief executive, Dan McAlister, said the company was “proud to sponsor Tinathon for a second year and support the vital work The Shelter Trust does for people experiencing homelessness in Jersey.”
Source: Jersey Evening Post
