Fashion to Help Homeless at intu Metrocentre

"80,000 young people experienced homelessness in a year in the UK"
Centrepoint / University of York study

Shoppers are being encouraged to donate clothes to youth homelessness charity Centrepoint at The Empty Shop, an award winning project that launches at intu Metrocentre for the first time in the North East on Thursday 3rd April.

Working alongside the annual Spring/Summer fashion shows in association with HELLO! magazine, Fashion Live will feature retailers such as Zara, House of Fraser and Topshop, and The Empty Shop will stand proud during the four day period.

The concept will see the general public donate good quality clothing they no longer have a use for into The Empty Shop. The in-centre stylists will then transform the store with the donations, and every evening the store is emptied and the clothes will be distributed by Centrepoint, which supports 6,000 homeless young people aged between 16 and 25 every year, to help those in need across the North East. Homeless young people being helped by Centrepoint will also help to staff The Empty Shop.

Lindsay Peach, Senior Fundraising Officer at Centrepoint said “Having clean, warm clothing will make a big difference, not only to our young people’s health, but also their self-esteem and confidence. Any clothing suitable for work will enable our young people to attend training and interviews in appropriate clothing, giving them the best chance into employment. Young people need two things more than anything else to leave homelessness behind, a job and a home.”

After the success of The Empty Shop in Brazil and recently in Manchester, Marketing Manager Karen Carr decided to bring this innovative charity project to the North East. Karen said “Focusing on creating something new and bringing fashion and charity closer together, the clear beneficiary was Centrepoint, a charity known for their wonderful work locally fighting homelessness with young people. We looked to inspire people to combine their love of fashion and charity to help those in need and to offer the general public a chance to donate and see the shop being transformed throughout the 4 days.”

ENDS

For further information contact:
Lisa Mcleman
Digital Media and PR Coordinator
0191 493 0224
Lisa.mcleman@intu.co.uk
www.intumetrocentre.co.uk   

Helen Atkinson
Assistant Marketing Manager
0191 493 0222
07799137460
helen.atkinson@intu.co.uk
www.intumetrocentre.co.uk   

NOTES TO EDITORS

Intu Properties plc
Intu Properties plc (formerly Capital Shopping Centres PLC) owns and operates some of the very best shopping centres, in the strongest locations right across the country, including ten of the UK’s top 25.  You can find every one of the UK’s top 20 retailers in our shopping centres, alongside some of the world’s most iconic global brands.
 
With over 17 million sq ft of retail space valued at over £7 billion as at 31 December 2012, our centres attract some 340 million customer visits a year and two thirds of the UK population live within a 45 minute drive time of one of our centres.
 
At the forefront of UK shopping centre evolution since the 1970s our focus is on creating compelling destinations for consumers with added theatre.

On 15 January this year, we announced the creation of a nationwide consumer facing shopping centre brand - intu - and the transformation of our digital proposition including a transactional website, to provide the UK’s leading shopping centre experience on and off-line.
 
We have an investment plan of £1 billion over the next ten years on active management projects at most of our centres and major extensions.
 
Over 80,000 people are employed at our centres across the UK and we are fully committed to supporting our local communities and the wider environment through meaningful and hands-on initiatives.

We changed our name from Capital Shopping Centres Group plc to Intu Properties plc on 18 February 2013.

About Centrepoint
•    Centrepoint is the leading charity for homeless young people aged 16-25.

•    Centrepoint supports 6,000 homeless young people a year.

•    It provides accommodation-based and floating support services in London and the North of England. These include emergency night shelters and accommodation-based short stay services, as well as specialist services for care leavers, ex-offenders, young single parents, foyers and supported flats.

•    Centrepoint’s work is about more than just providing a safe bed for the night; Centrepoint helps young people to turn their lives around by gaining essential life skills; tackling their physical and mental health issues and moving into education or employment.

•    Through policy work, Centrepoint aims to influence public policy, campaigning on behalf of the young people it supports and homeless young people throughout the UK.

•    Founded in 1969, Centrepoint has helped more than 95,000 homeless young people.

•    HRH The Duke of Cambridge became Centrepoint’s Patron in 2005.

For more information about Centrepoint, please contact Media and PR Assistant Hannah McLaverty-Williamson on 0207 423 6854 or at h.mclaverty-williamson@centrepoint.org

For more information, please visit www.centrepoint.org.uk