Group that gives warm clothes to the homeless comes to Brighton

Take One Leave One were in North Street, Brighton, yesterday under the porch of the closed down STA Travel shop.

The group, which started four years ago in London, is growing across towns and cities across the world.

The idea of the group is for people to take a jacket if they need one, and people are welcome to donate and leave a jacket for someone who needs one.

• READ MORE: 'Every death on our streets is one too many' - number of homeless deaths in last year revealed

Stefan Simanowitz, a journalist for Amnesty International, started the group in Exmouth Market in London during the notorious “beast from the East” storm in February 2018.

He said he was inspired by a video he saw on social media where a business owner in Texas hung up a rail of clothes with a sign encouraging anyone who was cold to take one.

The original idea was leaving a rail of clothes in the morning and taking it back in the evening. But since the pandemic, Stefan said volunteers have been required to man the stalls and ensure clothes are kept clean and away from bad weather.

The group launched in Brighton yesterday

Stefan told The Argus: “The idea has been in America, France, Austria and lots of cities here in England. But one thing I would say, it’s an idea that shouldn’t be necessary, it’s a ‘sticky plaster’.

“The obscenity of the fact we have to put clothes out for people who are cold in one of the richest economies in the world, it’s a failure of government. We can see that during Covid, the government can get rid of homelessness if it wants to.

“This isn’t meant to be a permanent solution to the problem, it is something in five or ten years I hope doesn’t exist.

3/. “If you’re cold, take one. If you can help, leave one”

As freezing temperatures hit, we hung warm coats, jackets, scarves etc. outside STA Travel on West St, Brighton

To get involved use #TOLOBrighton

A proper sign is on its way, just £30 from print@adelphigraphics.com pic.twitter.com/ccQTRQ7YLv

— TOLOBrighton (@TOLOBrighton) December 29, 2021

“There is a political element to this, I don’t want Take One Leave One (TOLO) to fill the gap that the government is failing to fill.”

Stefan encouraged people to get involved, either by donating clothes, or even buying a sign and starting a TOLO group in their town. The group hopes to get a network of volunteers together to be on the streets of Brighton more regularly.

For more information on the group, visit their Twitter page.

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