This year, Headstar teamed up with Zarach, a children’s bed charity, to tackle bed poverty by providing vital support to local families in need. Through our Donate A Day initiative, seven members of the Headstar team helped deliver more than 40 beds to children across Leeds and Bradford who otherwise would not have a bed of their own. Additionally, they assembled over 50 bed bundles, each containing a duvet, pillow, sheet, pyjamas, a Christmas book, and a festive selection box, ensuring children have a place to sleep and a touch of holiday cheer.
Zarach, headquartered in Hunslet, is dedicated to ending child bed poverty in the UK, a widespread issue that affects over 900,000 children¹ nationwide.
The charity provided a record 9,067 beds last year, but the need remains urgent – an estimated 24,000² children in Leeds and Bradford still lack a safe place to sleep. Zarach’s Christmas Appeal aims to change that for 1,000 more children, offering them not just beds but brighter futures.
All referrals for beds are made through schools, and Zarach has a specialist family engagement team that provides ongoing support beyond bed deliveries. This team ensures families can access vital resources such as food, fuel, and key support services. By partnering with The Sleep Charity, NSPCC, and trauma-informed practitioners, Zarach is able to work with families in a way that prioritises safety and well-being for everyone involved.
Andy Peers, Chief Executive of Zarach, emphasised the importance of partnerships in achieving their mission: “The continued growth of Zarach relies on increasing our funding, donations, and volunteer support. There is great power in community action, and we are so thankful for companies like Headstar, whose volunteers help to make a lasting impact on the lives of local children. Every bed will last at least eight years, giving children the opportunity to engage at school and a chance to break the future cycle of poverty.”
“Zarach is such a great charity, and we were really happy to help,” added James Roach, Managing Director at Headstar. “It’s nice to know more children will have beds to sleep in tonight as we continue our work to support our local community.”
The Donate A Day initiative is a cornerstone of our Employee Wellbeing Programme, providing the Headstar team with an opportunity to support regional charities and give back to local communities. We have run this initiative for several years, enabling the team to support a range of organisations including the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Hull Animal Welfare Trust.
To learn more about Zarach’s incredible work or find out how you can support their mission, visit www.zarach.org.
References:
- No crib for a bed report, Barnados, September 2023
- Estimate based on: Child population x child poverty rate (%) x percentage of children in child poverty experiencing bed poverty. Child poverty rate data taken from Eng Child Poverty Coalition 2023
