Businesses from across Birmingham have pledged their support to help tackle homelessness following Birmingham Colmore‘s Homelessness Summit, hosted at KPMG, One Snowhill this October.
The summit brought together business leaders alongside leading charity and support organisations including St Basils, Trident Group, Cranstoun and the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Attendees explored the challenges surrounding homelessness in Birmingham and identified practical opportunities for businesses to play a positive role in supporting vulnerable individuals.
The event also featured a powerful contribution from Michael Roberts, who shared his lived experience of homelessness, providing valuable insight into the realities faced by many people across the city.
Attendees also heard an update on the current landscape from Stephen Phillpott at Birmingham City Council, before learning more about the support services available and engagement opportunities for businesses. The summit concluded with a session led by Kate-Emma Bailey of Birmingham Colmore, focusing on the role businesses can play in creating lasting partnerships and meaningful change.
As a result of the event, over 20 businesses in the city committed to a range of actions, including fundraising, volunteering, skills-based support, employment support, donations, and developing longer-term relationships with homelessness charities and support providers.
As host of the summit, KPMG also committed to continuing to work alongside businesses, charities and support organisations across Birmingham to help tackle homelessness, building on its role in bringing together organisations from across the city to share ideas and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Kate-Emma Bailey, Safer Colmore Project Lead and Incoming Co-Chair of Birmingham Colmore, said:
“Homelessness is a complex issue that affects individuals, communities and businesses across our city. What was particularly encouraging from today’s summit was the willingness of businesses to move beyond discussion and commit to tangible actions. The range of pledges made demonstrate that Birmingham’s business community is ready to play its part in supporting those experiencing homelessness and helping create positive pathways for the future.”
Andrew Bostock, Birmingham Office Senior Partner at KPMG, said:
“We were delighted to host the Homelessness Summit and bring together organisations from across Birmingham who share a commitment to creating positive change. The conversations throughout the day highlighted the power of collaboration, and it’s fantastic to see so many businesses making practical commitments that can have a real impact on the lives of people experiencing homelessness.”
“At KPMG, we’re committed to continuing to work with businesses and support organisations across the city to build on this momentum and explore how we can collectively make a difference.”
The summit forms part of Birmingham Colmore’s ongoing work to connect businesses with initiatives that support a thriving, inclusive and compassionate city centre, while strengthening partnerships between the private, public and voluntary sectors.
For more information about Birmingham Colmore’s work on supporting vulnerable people in the city centre, visit https://colmorelife.co.uk/working-group/safer-colmore/.
Header image caption L-R: Back row – John-Jo Von Johnson (Birmingham Colmore), Alex Tross (Birmingham Colmore), Andrew Bostock (KPMG). Front row – Stephen Phillpott (Birmingham City Council), Michael Roberts, Kate-Emma Bailey (Birmingham Colmore).
