A new currency has arrived in Swansea, aimed at making it easier for members of the public to support people who are homeless, as well as making it easier for people who are homeless to access any support they may need. The 'BillyChip', created in memory of Billy Abernethy-Hope, a 20-year-old ambulance driver who died in 2018, aims to "encourage generosity among those who don't carry cash or those reluctant to give money to people experiencing homelessness," reports The Big Issue.
Sometimes when people give cash to people who are homeless, they would prefer their money to be spent on essential items like food, toiletries or towards entry to sheltered accommodation. By giving someone a BillyChip, it can be spent specificallly on necessities like food or a hot drink in certain locations in the city.
But buying a BillyChip "goes beyond just a free hot drink for our rough sleepers," the founders say. It's also a way to give people who are homeless "choice, hope and a sense of community". You can get the biggest Swansea news stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
