Honey donates £100,000 to launch Sheffield city centre homelessness charity

A charity based at Sheffield Cathedral is urging businesses to back a £2m appeal to rebuild its centre, as support for people experiencing homelessness in the city becomes “more crucial than ever”.

The Archer Project has worked with thousands of people in Sheffield for more than 30 years, helping 1,201 individuals and serving 23,425 meals in 2025 alone.

Now, it has launched a major appeal to rebuild and upgrade its centre on Campo Lane so it can continue helping people at all stages of homelessness.

Sheffield-headquartered housebuilder Honey has been confirmed as the appeal’s headline sponsor following a donation of £100,000. Chief executive Mark Mitchell, who was born in Sheffield and still lives in the city, is a trustee of The Archer Project and a member of the rebuild steering group.

Architects Race Cottam Associates, which has its offices in Sheffield city centre, has provided detailed plans for the rebuild which will transform The Archer Project’s internal layout.

The new design will give the charity the space and support it needs to help people build new lives away from homelessness. It will help more people move beyond day-to-day survival and towards more meaningful, fulfilling lives.

Latest Sheffield City Council figures show homelessness presentations were around 3,800 in 2024/25. As of 31 March 2025, 739 households were in temporary accommodation in the city.

The Archer Project estimates the rebuild will generate a total net social value of £85m over 15 years, with around £4 of social value returned for every £1 invested.

The Archer Project head of fundraising, Joe Logan, said: “Ensuring the right support is in place for people experiencing homelessness has become more crucial than ever. Our current centre no longer reflects the service we work hard to provide. While it has served us for many years, the space is now dated and limits what we are able to offer at times.

“The people we work with make progress through their own commitment and resilience – and we want our environment to better match that effort.

“Rebuilding our centre will allow us to help as many people as possible progress away from homelessness, enabling us to protect what we provide now as well as strengthen what we can offer in the years ahead.

“We are asking businesses based or operating in Sheffield and the wider region to dig deep and get behind our £2m appeal to help make a lasting difference to some of Sheffield’s most vulnerable residents.”

The fundraising campaign is now underway. The charity is offering sponsorship opportunities, including financial support and pro-bono, in-kind contributions. Further supporters will be announced as the appeal gathers momentum across Sheffield and the wider Yorkshire region.

The Archer Project’s roots go back to the late 1980s, when members of the Cathedral congregation began offering tea and toast to people experiencing homelessness who needed somewhere to go. In 2007, the charity moved into purpose-built premises within the Cathedral.

Honey’s Mark Mitchell added: “This is an opportunity for businesses to step forward in a practical way to help us to reach the £2m target as quickly as possible.

“That could be through donations, corporate partnerships or fundraising activity. If your organisation can help, please get involved to help support the hugely important work of The Archer Project and the amazing team which provides such dedicated care and support to so many people.”