IKEA and Focus Ireland launches a 'Duvet That Does Good'
With over 12 thousand people in Ireland currently affected by the housing emergency, €1 from every duvet sold will be donated to our charity partner Focus Ireland, to support their good causes.
Everyone deserves a place to call home
IKEA and Focus Ireland have announced a new, long-term partnership that will see our two organisations joining forces to defend the one thing we value most: home.
The partnership is launching amidst the worst housing crisis Ireland has ever experienced, with over 10,800 people currently experiencing homelessness – the highest number on record. Meanwhile, as emergency accommodation becomes full, there is a significant increase in the number of people experiencing hidden homelessness who are not counted in the official figures. The crisis will continue to deepen this winter with accommodation supply at an all-time low and the ever-increasing cost of living crisis.
As of August 2022, there are currently 10,805 people experiencing homelessness in Ireland, which is an increase of 237 since July (10,568) and a 32% increase from last year. Additionally, there are 1,483 homeless families with 3,230 homeless children. Child homeless is up 47% since last year.*
Over the course of the partnership, we will launch a series of initiatives to help those affected by the housing crisis in IKEA’s local communities and beyond, aiming to increase access to support and opportunities.
What we’ll be doing
Within our wider partnership across the UK and Ireland, together with Shelter in the UK, we will also start training co-workers to become ‘Life at Home Experts’, who will help empower and support customers and co-workers. The aim is to reach those in at-risk situations at an earlier stage, to help empower more people to take control of their housing situation before they reach crisis point. The trial will start in two stores, and if proven successful, we will roll this out across all IKEA stores in the UK and Ireland over the course of their partnership.
IKEA will also fund Housing Rights Workers, who will be based in Shelter advice hubs. The initiative aims to reach people who need housing help in their local communities. By working more closely in neighbourhoods and providing early intervention, IKEA and Shelter hope to stop more people from losing their homes.
The launch of the partnership will also see the beginning of a flagship three-year research project following the journeys of families living in social housing. The in-depth findings will be used to inform the most pressing focuses that are needed for the partnership, and to help call on the government to deliver systemic change.
Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK & Ireland, says:
“At IKEA, we want to create a better everyday life for the many people. This ambition goes beyond just home furnishing: We want to have a positive impact on the world. Our partnership with Shelter will help us do that by providing support to the millions of people across the UK that do not currently have a place to call home.
“We’re in a national housing and cost-of-living crisis that’s hitting families and people suffering homelessness the hardest. That’s why it’s even more important for companies such as ours to take responsibility and contribute positively to the neighbourhoods we’re part of. Together with Shelter, our mission is to ensure that by 2030, half a million of those in need have access to a better life at home.”
15% off 12 TOG duvets
From 16 October to 24 December, IKEA Family members get 15% off 12 TOG duvets
How you can get involved
If you’d like to get involved in our partnership and help do your part, next time you visit us in store why not scan our unique QR code at the till to donate €1 to Focus Ireland.