On 17 December 2025, the Reaching People team helped to spread some Christmas joy by teaming up with the Leicester Jazz House to present a free Christmas Special charity benefit concert at The International in Leicester.
The Leicester Jazz House is a volunteer run not-for-profit, sharing jazz music to as wide a group of people as possible, and making it part of local cultural life.
Although tickets for the jazz evening were free, the concert was a sell-out and people attending had an opportunity on the night to make a donation to the vital work of Reaching People.
On the night, our Joint CEO, Sarah Richards introduced the charity to the people attending. Amongst her comments, she said: “Thank you so much to all who came tonight, and a huge thank you to Leicester Jazz House for choosing Reaching People as the charity for this event.”
Highlighting how your support makes a difference
Sarah also shared some details about the difference that people’s support at the event can make.
“One of our projects, Moneywise Living, provides one-to-one support for people who are struggling with the cost of living — things like benefits, energy bills, budgeting and building their confidence to manage their lives independently.
“One person we supported had been homeless for seven or eight years, sofa-surfing with friends and family. He’d never had his own tenancy and didn’t know how to apply for housing, set up utilities or manage bills. He also told us he wanted a home where his 1-year-old son could come and visit.
“With our support, he was able to explore housing options he didn’t even know existed, secure a flat, and get help with everything from meter readings to registering with an energy supplier. He said: “It was a massive relief to have someone by your side. I didn’t know what questions to ask or what the next step was, but I felt confident it was going to be okay.”
“He’s now living independently, managing his finances, and told us: “I finally felt listened to, someone who didn’t know me at all believed in me and helped me achieve something beyond my expectations.”
“Another person put it very simply: “For the first time, I felt listened to. I left the appointment with a spring in my step.”
“They went on to say how they would recommend the service to others, because it helped them to realise that they weren’t alone - and that they weren’t a bad parent.
Sarah added: “This is what your support makes possible. Not just advice, not just forms - but confidence, dignity and hope at moments when people really need it.”
If you would like to make a donation to the charitable work of Reaching People, please click on the ‘donate’ button on our website or click here.
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