Billy Chip homeless project may expand thanks to lottery funding

A voucher scheme which helps homeless people buy a hot drink and food could be expanded nationally.

The Billy Chip tokens, worth £2, are bought and given to homeless people to exchange in cafes and food shops.

Meg Abernathy-Hope, who founded the scheme in Bristol, said: "It's been amazing, it's been so much more than we ever thought it would be."

The charity has won a £10,000 National Lottery grant to help roll it out across the rest of the country.

"We've had conversations with people in parliament in order to be able to roll this out even further and that £10,000 is just the beginning," said Meg.

"We've got a long way to go but it's definitely achievable," she added.

The Billy Chip was launched two years ago in Bristol in memory of Meg's brother Billy, who was an ambulance driver.

He came up with the idea but soon after he died in a motorbike accident in Thailand.

"This started off as a dream that had come together around the kitchen table after something really horrendous happened when we lost Billy," said Meg.

"Nearly two years on I can't believe it's spread across the south west."

Ed Arnold, who is homeless, has used the tokens. He said: "It's £2 and you can't accidentally spend it. You can go in and get a drink - it's all you want."

One business that accepts the tokens is The Better Food Company in Bristol.

Owner, Matt Philpott, said: "It's just a good thing to do, it's just the right thing to do.

"We like to contribute to the communities that we are part of."

The project has so far sold 1,600 tokens.

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