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29


CAN B&BS HELP CHANGE LIVES THIS WINTER?


Managing Director of Welcome Systems Ltd, John Jones, questions whether we could be doing more to support those most in need?


T


his is a question increas- ingly being put to B&B owners as winter tempera- tures plunge across the UK


and official figures show that over 50,000 families in England are cur- rently living in temporary accommo- dation. This is a 300 per cent increase


over the past five years of families staying in B&Bs for more than six- weeks, a figure which has doubled during the past year. In Milton Keynes the council has


resorted to asking the public to help solve the area’s homelessness crisis after the number of Syrian refugees seeking sanctuary in the city increased fivefold from September to November 2015. Local authorities there are now


struggling to cope with 100 new homelessness


applications every


month, and are spending more than £1 million each year on temporary B&B accommodation. If this sounds familiar you


may also remember the recent story of former Manchester United teammates Gary Neville and Ryan


Giggs giving permission for around 30 homeless people to stay in the £1.5m Grade II-listed building they are developing into a 35-bedroom boutique hotel.


All of this begs the question as


to whether the B&B and hotel sector is doing enough to support those most in need of their help? True enough, we are all not


businesses, charities, but


online room booking management systems like our own ‘Welcome Anywhere’ are ideally suited to help manage and maximise occupancy throughout the seasonal peaks and troughs of the year.


Perhaps the profits that come with


achieving these enhanced bookings can leave a little space to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Our staff will be putting their


hands into their pockets this winter to support the national housing and homelessness charity – Shelter - to do our bit to make 2016 a brighter year for everyone. We invite you to do the same.


Useful websites: http://england.shelter.org.uk http://www.welcome-anywhere.co.uk


Visit www.welcome-systems.uk or email sales@welcome-systems.uk


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