The plan

How It Works

A simple challenge with a serious impact. Here's how the SHS "Shirt off My Back" auction comes together — from the wardrobe to the winning bid.

Here's the challenge. We're calling on donors from every corner of the British Isles to send in the shirt off their back — with their story.

Watch a few of the sample videos and copy the format, but make it your own. Wear a t-shirt underneath the one you're donating if it makes you more comfortable, then film yourself taking it off. Tell us who you are. Follow the instructions on the Get Involved page and upload your video. We'll email you when it's online and when the auction goes live.

Every penny raised goes straight to Sussex Homeless Support — funding hot meals, sleeping bags, hygiene products, socks, boxers, tents, and the everyday supplies frontline projects depend on. With pooled buying power, we order in bulk at deep discounts and deliver to grassroots volunteers in major UK cities who receive little or no government support.

Ready to take part?

Donate the shirt off your back. We'll send you a pre-paid postal label and walk you through the next steps.

Get involved

From the front line

Letters from grassroots projects

When we got in touch with frontline homeless projects across the UK, this is what came back. These are the volunteers your bids reach.

Bristol

Hi Jim,

Thank you so much for reaching out, and for your kind words about Jasper and the project. It's always lovely hearing from people and organisations who share the same values.

Your fundraising idea sounds fantastic — especially the focus on supporting smaller grassroots organisations that struggle to access larger funding streams.

We are a Bristol-based charity providing temporary accommodation to 33 residents through converted shipping-container micro-flats, alongside wellbeing support, mentors, counselling and housing advice. We also run a communal shower block open to street-homeless residents of Bristol Monday to Friday. We receive no council or government funding, so partnerships like this genuinely make a huge difference.

We'd love to be added to the list for future deliveries — toiletries and other essentials would help enormously.

Wishing you all the best.

Scotland

Hi Jim,

Thank you for reaching out. We would absolutely love to be involved — your idea is exactly the kind of grassroots support network the UK needs right now.

Homeless Project Scotland is currently the only grassroots homeless organisation of our size in Scotland operating with no paid staff at all. Everything we do is powered by volunteers and community support.

Pooling resources, buying direct from manufacturers, and helping smaller frontline projects with regular deliveries is brilliant. Toiletries, sleeping bags and essential items are things we go through constantly. Please do add us to the list — and keep up the amazing work in Sussex.

Liverpool

I'm 16 years in recovery and I work in the recovery field. Most people on the streets are using addicts.

I'd love to support Liverpool's homeless with my little project, The Hope Project. Let me know what you're wanting to donate.

Kind regards.