Posters including the wording 'Begging: Watch your money go up in smoke', 'Begging: Watch your money go to a fraud' and 'Begging funds the misuse of drugs' have recently appeared in Nottingham city, according to the Independent newspaper.
In 2015, the number of 'rough sleepers' in England rose at an 'unprecendented' rate, explained on the combination of welfare cuts and a 'housing shortage'. According to Crisis, the UK-based homeless charity, 7,581 people slept rough in London last year (up by 62% in the last two years) and of those recorded, the average age of death is just 47 years old.
On Twitter, local people are sharing their outrage at the council's '#Givesmart' campaign, and one individual has earned over £3,000 for local homeless charities by selling one of the posters online. On Nottingham City Council's website, three 'case studies' are offered, one concerning a violent beggar and two involving fraudulent begging, where the individuals involved aren't homeless.
Please sign and share this petition to have Nottingham City Council take down these posters demonising homeless people in the city.
