GLOUCESTERSHIRE CIVIL SERVANTS COLLECT FOR HOMELESS IN ‘PANTS FOR CHRISTMAS’.

Gloucestershire Civil Servants from GCHQ, Gloucester Land Registry and the MOD Service Personnel Agency (SPVA) at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth are banding together this Christmas for the first time to collect for the homeless in Gloucester.

The three Civil Service agencies will collect new underwear, toiletries and other clothing for Gloucestershire’s Emergency Accommodation Resource (GEAR), the only direct homeless charity in Gloucestershire.  Appropriately, the campaign will be called ‘Pants for Christmas’!

Spokesperson for GCHQ said; “GEAR performs critical work relieving sickness, poverty and distress, particularly amongst the county’s street homeless.  This work is particularly important during freezing weather. GCHQ did a similar collection last year for GEAR, but working in collaboration with Land Registry and SPVA this year will hopefully mean that we can make more of a difference”.

Dave Aylen, SPVA campaign coordinator said;“ we are pleased to be given this opportunity to get together with other Civil Service organisations in Gloucestershire to help collect as much clothing and toiletries as possible for this worthwhile cause.  It is great to be involved with something so positive for our community”.

A spokesperson for the Charity committee at Land Registry Gloucester office said; "so far it’s proving to be a particularly cold winter this year.  It is heart warming to think that by joining forces with GCHQ and SPVA we stand a real chance of making a difference to the homeless in Gloucestershire this Christmas."

The ‘Pants for Christmas’ campaign is also being run across a network of other government departments across the South West under an initiative called Civil Service South West (CSSW).  CSSW brings together representatives from different government departments across the region.  It aims to break down barriers between departments, share good ideas and work collaboratively on common issues such as encouraging greater participation in the voluntary sector.

Notes for Editors:

1.         Gear Projects is based at The Vaughan Centre, 159 Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1EX, Tel: 01452 523 655.  To find out more about their work for the homeless, please refer to their website:
http://www.gearprojects.org/about-gear/index.html

2.         Service Personnel and Veterans’ Agency
The Service Personnel and Veterans’ Agency is an executive agency of the MOD and provides essential support functions to the Armed Forces and veterans’ communities.  These include Forces pay, HR, medals, casualty repatriation and compassionate services, pensions, injury/bereavement compensation, and veterans’ welfare support.  Veterans can get advice and support by calling the veterans’ helpline 0800 169 2277 or by visiting www.veterans-uk.info

3.         Civil Service South West is an innovative programme designed to bring all government departments and agencies closer together to work collaboratively on common issues that affect the many civil servants they employ. The programme uses the strong regional presence, its scale and diversity, to benefit all civil servants and, through them, the public they serve.

Programme aims:

To develop a civil service in the South West that is an employer of choice which attracts, develops and retains people from all backgrounds and representative of the communities it serves.

To enable staff as individuals to get the most out of being civil servants and to feel that they are part of something bigger than the organisations where they work.

To enhance existing partnerships between organisations and build new ones where there is mutual benefit to be gained.

Any questions should be directed to:

Caroline Waterfield
GCHQ Press Office
pressoffice@gchq.gsi.gov.uk
01242 221491 Ext 33847