50 Backpacks for the Solihull community
Partnership working proved to be key once more when our Clubs relationships with John Lewis Solihull and Solihull Council delivered benefits for Rough Sleepers and the Homeless in Solihull.
At our Club Meeting in November members packed 50 backpacks with warm clothing and essential hygiene items. We were able to do this thanks to an extremely generous grant from John Lewis Solihull and donations of cash and toiletry items from our members. Included in each bag was a personal message from the Club Member who had packed the bag. The bags were all delivered to Sophie Perrett and other members of the Solihull Council Rough Sleepers Team. Sophie was delighted to receive them and said that she and her team will distribute the bags to those in need. Each bag contained –
- Joggers
- Thermal top
- Hat
- Two pairs socks
- Tissues
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- 2 Foil blankets
- 2 Handwarmers
John Lewis Solihull – Community Matters
We have worked with staff at John Lewis Solihull and, in particular Sara Breen, Community Liaison Coordinator for John Lewis Solihull, for several years now. Sara invited us to apply for a grant from their “Community Matters Scheme” fund to support the homeless and isolated groups. We were delighted to be awarded £1,500. About two thirds of this money has been used to purchase items for the backpacks – Black Friday helped us bag some bargains!
Rough Sleeping and Homelessness in Solihull Borough
This year our Club wanted to act to help Homeless individuals and families in the Borough. In May Sophie, Rough Sleeper Manager and Jen Mason, Commissioning & Partnerships Manager spoke to our members. They started by defining “Homelessness” and “Rough Sleeping”
- Homelessness – includes a person who has no available accommodation occupy, are at risk of violence or domestic abuse, have accommodation but not reasonable to occupy, have accommodation by cannot secure entry, or have no legal right to occupy their accommodation.
- Rough Sleeping – it is a type the most visible form of homelessness and is characterised by individuals sleeping in locations not intended for habitation.
They told us that there was a lot of hidden homelessness in Solihull, especially near Birmingham International Station. Between the years of 2021/22 to 2023/24 there was a 214% increase in rough sleeping across Solihull (69 to 131 individuals). Causes include eviction, poverty, unemployment, domestic abuse and systemic barriers. Last year 3000 households approached Solihull Council as “homeless” and in May 2025 there were 240 households in temporary accommodation.
How to Report Rough Sleepers:
Concerned about someone rough sleeping? Please report via
StreetLink National System
Want to find out more about Soroptimists and what we do?
Visit our Solihull Club website and you can find us on Facebook too. Contact us here and join us at one of our meetings – we meet on the second Thursday of every month. Find out more about other Soroptimist Clubs by going to the SIGBI website here To find out about Soroptimists Worldwide visit the Soroptimist International website here
