All Londoners know that the weather gets icy around the end of October when the lovely autumn leaves turn from bright reds and yellows to brown.
While many of us have the luxury of reaching into our wardrobes and choosing from a selection of coats to keep us warm and cosy throughout winter, not everyone who lives in London is as fortunate.
This is why, for the 12th year in a row, Chestertons is collaborating with charity Calling London to ensure that winter coats are available to everyone in London who needs them.
The Coat Drive
From 12 October until 23 November, every Chestertons (an elite London estate agent) branch in London will transform into a donation point where big-hearted Londoners can drop off warm winter coats they no longer need.
Whether you’re an individual, a local business, a school or class, or even a Chesterton’s employee, we’re reaching out to you to ask for your help.
Ask your mum, ask your church, ask your boss, or coworkers or neighbours if they can spare any of the following:
- Coats of all styles
- Ski jackets
- Gilets
- Fleeces
Once you have your donations in hand, kindly deliver them to any of Chesterton’s branches across London to be handed over to our charity partners for distribution.
Your contribution can help fight the odds that the cost-of-living crisis is stacking against many Londoners.
With more families than ever facing financial difficulties, especially over the holiday season, we take pride in knowing that we can contribute to a solution, even in the smallest way.
Since beginning their partnership with Calling London in 2013, Chestertons has collected more coats year after year.
In 2013, it began with 200 coats and grew to an incredible 5,000 by 2023.
2024’s drive saw an incredible jump in donations and a result of 10,000 coats collected.
Can you help them improve on that record? We think so!
About the organisations
Calling London
Calling London began in 2013, when a group of friends noticed that, despite increasingly cold London winters, many of their neighbours and fellow Londoners didn’t seem to have the means to dress warmly enough.
Knowing that Londoners stick together, this group of friends embarked on a journey to connect unneeded winter coats and jackets with those in need.
With a goal in mind and plenty of enthusiasm for the road ahead, a charity group was officially registered, and in November of 2011, Calling London launched its initial winter coat drive.
Calling London is run entirely by local volunteers.
In 2017, the group was honored with the RBKC Mayor’s Award for its work distributing warm winter coats.
Calling London founder Frances Manthos said: “Thanks to the invaluable support of Chestertons, I was ultimately able to help more people than ever before.
“The energy from the Chestertons teams came in many forms: from managing the collection boxes in the branches, to reaching out to local communities, to collecting coats near their homes, and volunteering their time at the coat sorting.”
Chestertons
Chestertons is an elite London estate agent with one of the largest networks in the city.
The many agents making up the Chestertons family live (mostly) in the areas where they work, so the company has a real connection to the communities they serve.
Chestertons prides itself on a high standard of service and has been recognised with many industry awards over the years.
Going further than the average agency to help their buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants is Chestertons’ policy, as is looking out for Londoners in need.
The company’s social responsibility schemes are robust and intended to benefit Londoners from many walks of life.
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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