Our Colchester

A Charitable giving campaign from Our Colchester BID, benefiting Beacon House Ministries.

TAP2CHANGE

Tap2Change launched in early April 2023 and each year will see different nominated charities benefiting from the programme.

This year 100% of your donation will go to Beacon House Ministries, a charity supporting those facing homelessness and in insecure housing in Colchester. There is a fixed donation point at Lion Walk Shopping Centre for you to visit and donate using a contactless payment machine. There are also two roaming donation points that will be visiting various locations in Colchester.

 

Join us on Thursday 27th of April for a Virtual Launch of Tap2Change, with Beacon House Ministries and the BID Team. 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE. 

Colchester Giving Campaign

Our Colchester BID have launched a giving campaign to support those in need in Colchester. The campaign will see contactless donation points installed in the city centre in key locations for visitors to tap and donate fixed amounts. The money raised will go to charitable work focused on supporting people in insecure housing and facing homelessness.

The selected charity for the launch of the campaign is Beacon House Ministries, who focus on providing practical support and wellbeing for people at risk.

This is the first campaign of it's type in Essex therefore the BID would love to hear from the Colchester community on what this project should be called. Submissions are open for you to suggest a name for the campaign, the winning name will be announced on the 3rd of February and the lucky winner will receive a £30 Colchester Gift Card as a thank you for their support.

To submit your suggestion email hello@ourcolchester.co.uk with the subject "Colchester Giving Campaign" , include your name suggestion and a short paragraph/sentence on what Colchester means to you. Submissions close on the 1st of February and the names will be judged by an independent panel.

Update

03.02.2023

Thank you to all that put in naming suggestions for the Colchester giving campaign. A running theme of hope and community came through with all the entries we had. The final name for the Our Colchester donation project has been selected, Tap2Change!

We're working hard behind the scenes to get the ball rolling on the project and will have more exciting announcements to share with you soon. This year, 100% of the proceeds from your donations will be going to Beacon House to support their work, giving hope to the homeless.

In the news

Click here to read the full press release announcing the giving campaign .

FAQs

1.Why was Colchester chosen for this scheme? 

This scheme was brought into being by the Our Colchester Business Improvement District (BID), an organisation dedicated to supporting businesses and benefiting the city centre making Colchester a great place to work, live and visit. All projects developed and delivered by the BID must be done so in the geographical zone outlined in the BIDs business plan. 

You can find out more about the BIDs projects and the support that the organisation provides for the City centre on the Our Colchester website. 

2. Is this scheme stopping people from giving money directly to rough sleepers and beggars?

This scheme ensures that vulnerable people will get the specialist support that they need from Beacon House Ministries. Many individuals you may see on the street have complex needs and benefit greatly from specialist support. Cash could be funding addictions and even people trafficking. We are not stopping anyone from being compassionate, this scheme simply increases the opportunity for those in need to access the right support.

3. How do you know this will work?

Similar schemes have already proved successful across the UK – including Crawley, Windsor etc

4. Is this a good use of taxpayers’ money?

This project is funded by Our Colchester BID, the BID collects contributions from businesses in the city centre which then in turn is reinvested back into the area. No ‘taxpayer’ money has been used to launch or run this project. 

You can find more about the BID and how it operates on the Our Colchester website. 

5. Why did you choose Beacon House Ministries? 

 Beacon House Ministries has been the selected charity to benefit from the launch of the giving project due to its close ties with supporting people facing homelessness. 

If this project is successful, the BID will be looking at increasing the number of charitable partners who can benefit from this scheme. Colchester is home to some very prominent charities, and