The Friends of the Connection are a country-wide network of people who are committed to supporting the work of The Connection at St Martin’s. Friends can support by volunteering, fundraising, advocacy and donating.

Friends are able to keep abreast of developments in the field of homelessness and the work of The Connection by attending our annual Friends Day, which is held in October each year, as well as attending other events at The Connection, where there is a chance to talk to staff and clients about their experiences, something that is also available to Friends through volunteering opportunities.

We organise events for Friends and others to join, including the annual Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride, a 200-mile 4-day sponsored ride from Lincoln to London. We are always open to ideas for other events and activities that could attract new Friends, and in doing so, help us do more to tackle homelessness.

We encourage Friends to spread the word locally by inviting one of our Speakers to attend a local group or meeting to talk about homelessness and how The Connection responds. And a growing number of Friends find ways of fundraising locally, and enjoying the process at the same time – everything from coffee mornings to carol singing, and bake offs to yoga days.

Lastly, Friends remember the work of The Connection in their wills, making legacies a really important part of our overall income.