IKEA and Shelter: A cake that cares
At IKEA UK & Ireland, we’re committed to being part of the solution. As part of our partnership with Shelter, we’ll give £1 from every slice of Sticky Toffee Cake (England, Scotland and Wales) and Salted Caramel Gateau (Belfast) sold, to Shelter's emergency helpline, a vital service for people facing homelessness.
New government statutory homelessness figures reveal there are now 132,410 households homeless in temporary accommodation across England - up 8% in a year.
The burden falls disproportionately on women: In England, although lone mothers make up just 20% of families in the general population, they represent 51% of families in temporary accommodation. With a single income stretched by soaring rents, the challenges of childcare, and frequent discrimination from landlords, many are left with no other option.
Temporary accommodation is provided by councils to qualifying families who are homeless while they wait for their application to be processed and to be offered a settled home. It can take the form of emergency hostels, B&Bs, one-room bedsits, or cramped flats. It was never intended to be used outside of emergencies but with a severe shortage of social housing, it is often far from temporary. In England, over four in ten families in temporary accommodation (43%) have been there for more than two years, stuck in limbo with no stable place to call home.
The human cost is devastating. A record 172,420 children are now homeless in temporary accommodation in England. The highest number since records began 21 years ago. Families are often forced to live in just one or two rooms, with children growing up without the space to learn, play, or even have a bed of their own.
The government has promised to put women’s equality at the heart of its mission yet right now, it is women, and especially lone mothers, who are paying the highest price for the housing emergency.
To bring these realities to life, we invited three mothers to share their experiences of living in temporary accommodation. In conversation with one another, their stories shine a light on the realities of the housing emergency, and why action is urgently needed.
A sweet way to make a difference
At IKEA UK & Ireland, we’re committed to being part of the solution. As part of our partnership with Shelter, we’ll give £1 from every slice of Sticky Toffee Cake (England, Scotland and Wales) and Salted Caramel Gateau (Belfast) sold, to Shelter and Focus Ireland’s emergency helpline, a vital service for people facing homelessness.
The campaign will cover all the devolved nations, with funds going directly to Shelter Cymru, Housing Rights of Northern Ireland, Focus Ireland of the Republic of Ireland and Shelter Scotland — helping ensure support reaches those who need it most, wherever they are. Both desserts will be available for purchase from our IKEA Customer Restaurant, in stores across the UK and Ireland, from 3rd November until stocks last. This activity sits within IKEA and Shelter’s long-term partnership which campaigns to create systemic change that addresses the housing emergency in the UK, calling on the government to build 90,000 social homes a year over the next decade. Because we share the belief that “Home is Everything”.
For anyone affected by the housing emergency, please visit Shelter.org.uk
UK
IKEA are proud to give £1 from each limited edition Sticky Toffee Cake sold to Shelter (registered charity number 263710 England and Wales, SC002327 Scotland). Shelter will pay an equivalent amount from the Sticky Toffee Cake sales made in Wales to Shelter Cymru (registered charity number 515902) and in Northern Ireland to Housing Rights (registered charity number NIC 105735). Money received will go towards the Helpline for each charity, supporting people and families facing or experiencing homelessness.
Ireland
IKEA are proud to give €1 from each slice of limited edition Salted Caramel Gateau Cake sold in IKEA stores in Ireland to Focus Ireland (registered Charity number CHY 7220). Money received will go towards Focus Ireland's Advice and Information Service, supporting people and families facing or experiencing homelessness, and helping to prevent others from entering homelessness.