Greater Change has teamed up with Oxford University Innovation and Oxford’s Said Business School in order to try to offer the homeless a way of collecting donations in an age where spare change is becoming rarer and rarer.
Specifically, wearable barcodes have been handed out to homeless individuals, the codes on them then allow passersby to donate money through their phones. The founder of the project, Alex McCallion, stated to the BBC that: “The solution we have come upon with is a giving mechanism through your smartphone to a restricted fund,” from here the amount collected will be monitored by a caseworker who co-manages their account to ensure that the money is spent on suitable things, for example, a new passport or a rental deposit.
Furthermore, when scanning the code those who may donate can see a bio that briefly describes the rough-sleeper and the situation they are in. As for when this will be rolled out, it is already up and running in Oxford however many hope to see the initiative go national.