BillyChip

At Wishy, we want to understand more about what charities can offer and how we and the public can support them. We sat down with Jon at BillyChip to find out more about how they can offer positive support to the homeless.

What is BillyChip?

BillyChip tokens can be purchased for £2 from coffee shops and retail outlets who supply take away beverages. like Tea & Coffee. The purchaser receives the BillyChip which can be given to any homeless person instead of money. The homeless person can redeem the BillyChip in any participating outlet displaying a BillyChip window sticker for a hot or cold take away drink.

Each time a BillyChip is purchased you are supporting BillyChip Foundation a registered charity supporting the homeless. A proportion of the purchase price from each BillyChip goes towards operating the scheme and to cover the outlets costs of providing a drink.

The brilliant and unique way the BillyChip scheme works allows people to donate to the homeless without the worry of their donation being spent in an inappropriate manner. It also reduces unscrupulous begging and encourages retail outlets to do their bit for corporate social responsibility.

How does BillyChip help the homeless?

BillyChip allows the public to give to the homeless and know exactly how their donation will help a person in need-providing the donator a connection to the donation. BillyChip provides basic provisions to those who need it most. Homeless people are empowered by feeling welcome in establishments and the interaction helps develop more respect, supports mental health, and changes the dynamic of relationships between the homeless and the public.

Why was BillyChip created?

The BillyChip Foundation was set up in 2018 to continue the legacy of Billy Abernethy-Hope a twenty-year-old ambulance driver from Bristol who was the inspiration and idea behind the BillyChip.
After helping support the homeless at Christmas, Billy, felt disheartened at how little support the public gave to local homeless people. Many people donate to charity on a regular basis, but Billy was surprised what a small percentage of donations were given directly to people living rough on our streets.

Turns out most people are apprehensive to give money directly to homeless people, because it is not possible to know how a donation is spent. Unfortunately, the common perception is the money will be used for alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes. Even if a donation of food or drink is given to safeguard your donation, it is very awkward as people often make assumptions of what the person would like and when. The alternative is to engage with that person, ask the question and purchase what is required which many feel uncomfortable doing.

Billy recognised that the likelihood of someone having the time, inclination, courage, and kindness to engage with a homeless person to buy them food or drink was too big a challenge. That was the eureka moment when he first thought up the concept of the BillyChip. Sadly, Billy never got to launch the BillyChip as planned due to his untimely death whilst backpacking in Thailand.

It was after a Paloma Faith event where she raised some of the issues that Billy had previously discussed that Billy’s family were reminded of what he wanted to create and decided to create his legacy.

What are you proud of?

We were unfortunately unable to have a funeral for Billy and there were a lot of people left behind who wanted to celebrate his life. Billy was a popular guy who loved music and social events, so we decided a traditional gathering was unfitting to represent him. We hosted a big party in our garden inviting Billy’s many friends and family and named it Fest-a-Bill. There was live music, food, and drink from local providers, and we charged people to camp in the garden. All proceeds went towards the creation of the BillyChip.

Before the event, Billy’s sister Megan created an Instagram post which musician Prof.Green responded to. He is a renowned supporter of the homeless and after a meeting at the O2 in Bristol and hearing our story, Prof.Green asked if he could attend Fest-a-Bill. Megan did not think it would happen but Prof.Green attended and performed. There were 20 acts performing throughout the day and into the evening and this amazing event raised £20,000 and celebrated Billy’s life in a way that friends and family will remember forever. It was monumental.

How has BillyChip grown?

After this initial event BillyChip grew and grew. BillyChip now exists in Oxford Bristol Bath and Cheltenham and we have had good support from Councils and authorities.

Recently we have worked with Cheers Drive during the pandemic. With renowned local chefs from popular establishments including Emmeline, Pasta Loco and Salt and Malt on board, Cheers Drive is providing restaurant-quality food to vulnerable people across Bristol, completely free of charge. Dishes are delivered safely and directly to the city's homeless population, many of whom have been moved from shelters and off the streets into temporary accommodation. We were able to support them by providing cool bags to distribute food and drink to homeless people on the streets during a difficult time when the country had to stay at home and businesses were closed.

The BillyChip Foundation are over the moon to say we will be donating to the incredible streetvetuk to accredit a hostel in Bristol to be able to take in pets too! This is something we think is vital to have in Bristol and across the country. Streetvet, who look after homeless people’s dogs, provide necessary vaccinations and operations etc. What people are not always aware of is that a large percentage of people become homeless because they do not want to give up their pet and they cannot get adequate accommodation that will allow for pets. Only 7% acquire a companion dog after they become homeless.

We are developing an easy-to-use app to assist in the use of BillyChip. BillyChip is produced as a ceramic chip and can be reused and so it is self-generating. We will be incorporating a QR code onto the chips which can be scanned on a mobile device to find out locations of use.

Finally, BillyChip has created its own merchandise for sale to increase funds for the cause and is available for purchase on our website.

What does the future look like for BillyChip and how can we help?

Our mission is to provide a worldwide platform which brings local people and retail partners together to deliver, kindness, compassion and a free hot drink to homeless people sleeping rough on our streets.
The BillyChip can be given to any homeless person instead of money, the recipient can redeem BillyChips in any participating outlet for a free drink and hopefully food we hope to create multiples of chips to include a night in a safe warm place in the future.

We have had a lot of celebrities’ support and we hope to be able to create more campaigns to spread the BillyChip far and wide off the back of that.

Wishy and the public can help to get support into communities through donations. We need more coffee shops on board and more chips being available to the homeless. We are hoping that 2021 will be a bright year for us!