The Buddy Bag Foundation was invited to host a Buddy Bag Pack at the Housing Community Summit in Liverpool this month, where nearly 200 bags were packed by influential senior leaders from across the housing sector.
Bag packers at the event included Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation (NHF), and Elly Hoult, President of the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Thanks to our friends at Places for People for organising and the amazing support of the NHF and ACC Liverpool, we were given a fantastic space in the foyer of the Exhibition Centre and attracted plenty of attention from other delegates, who saw our eight tables filled with wonderful items to go in our bags of love.
It took 30 people just under an hour to pack 192 bags, which were kindly sponsored by social housing maintenance contractor, Fortem. The bags will now be donated to refuges to give a sense of safety, comfort and love to children entering emergency housing after fleeing domestic abuse.
Each Buddy Bag is packed with 12 essential items and small comforts, such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, toy, book, hand-knitted teddy bear (each one is hugged as it’s packed), a special message for mum and clothing.
Over the last 10 years since the Buddy Bag Foundation was started by founder, Karen Williams OBE, and have packed more than 70,000 Buddy Bags, thanks to over 6,400 volunteers and 400 Buddy Bag Brigades.
Karen Williams, CEO & Co-founder, Buddy Bag Foundation, said:
“We couldn’t have asked for a better platform to connect our work with members of the housing sector, who are uniquely positioned to understand the vital importance of safety, security and home.
“Thanks to Places for People, Fortem and ACC Liverpool, we were able to make priceless connections, which I know will help us in our mission to rebuild the lives of the youngest, most vulnerable members of our communities.”
Pictured above: Karen Williams, Founder and CEO of The Buddy Bag Foundation with Greg Reed, CEO of Places for People
Greg Reed, Group CEO at PfP, said: “We’ve been proud to support the Buddy Bag Foundation since 2023, not only because it’s a truly worthy cause but because it aligns with our mission to build communities where everyone can thrive.
“The impact of a buddy bag on a child arriving in emergency accommodation is transformational. We’re grateful to everyone who gave their time to pack bags at the Summit, and we were delighted to play our own part in holding the event.”
Chris Sutton, Head of Business Development, at Fortem Solutions, added: “Fortem improves thousands of homes across the UK, and we see first hand how important safe housing is for protecting vulnerable families.
“Going into emergency accommodation is a traumatic situation and The Buddy Bag Foundation does remarkable work giving children essential items and comfort during what are stressful times. That’s exactly the kind of initiative we want to champion.”
We are also delighted to be hosting another Buddy Bag Pack at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool later this month.
If you would like to volunteer for The Buddy Bag Foundation, you can find out more here.
