Conservative MP on placement with Leeds based homeless charity St. George’s Crypt 9/02/2008

Shipley MP Philip Davies will be visiting and working at Leeds based homeless charity St. George’s Crypt next week as part of the initiative, the ‘Inner City Challenge.’

The Inner City Challenge is one of the initiatives organised by the Centre for Social Justice, a centre which invites MP’s of all political parties to take part in voluntary placements working alongside the homeless, addicts and the vulnerable in broken communities. The initiative focuses on some of the most innovative projects fighting poverty in Britain.

Specifically, Conservative MP Philip Davies will be working alongside staff at St. George’s Crypt in Leeds, from Tuesday 12th until Friday 15th February, helping in every way to learn about the centre. The Inner City Challenge states that the visiting MP is treated as any other volunteer, undertaking any task, no matter how small or trivial, in order to really grasp the mechanics of any given charity.

Philip Davies will be helping to serve the daily meals the Crypt provides as well as working at a hostel for residents with alcohol dependency issues, and constructing bird boxes, flower boxes and bracelets with the clients staying at the Crypt’s Dry House. On his imminent visit to the charity, Mr Davies comments

“I intend to get as much out of my time at the Crypt as is possible, I’m privileged that the team there are allowing me to have the opportunity to see what goes on in what is obviously an extremely important charity for the city of Leeds. I’m keen to ascertain how the charity operates to fulfil my objectives are and educate others about charities such as St. George’s Crypt�.

Gary Stott, CEO of St. George’s Crypt is also very much looking forward to the imminent visit from MP Mr Davies, ‘I think these kind of initiatives are great,’ Gary comments ‘It’s important that as many people as possible have their eyes opened to the real life people who make up the terrifying national statistics. We work hard at the Crypt and hopefully Mr Davies will enjoy his time seeing just how energetic and pro-active we’re being to try and make an impact on the ongoing problem of homelessness in Leeds.’

Last year MP Iain Duncan-Smith, visited a community group in Bradford, stressing how important it was for other MP’s to look outside of the metropolitan elite who they are so often surrounded by and instead begin to open their eyes and interact with those outside of their comfort zone.
ENDS

Editor’s note:
St. George’s Crypt is a charity providing shelter and advice to homeless, rootless and disadvantaged people. Based in Leeds, the Crypt started its work in 1930 and over the past 77 years has continued to offer help to those most in need of it.

For more information, please call 0113 245 9061 or visit http://www.stgeorgescrypt.org.uk . Alternatively email /

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