More than 1,300 families will receive support from national housing and homelessness charity, Shelter, thanks to CBRE hitting its annual fundraising target of £250,000 just seven months into its two year partnership.

The funds will go towards specific projects around the country, providing advice and support to families to help make sure they have a place to call home.

CBRE, the commercial property and real estate services advisor, began its partnership with Shelter in February 2015, as part of its ‘building a better future’ responsible business plan. Since then, employees have organised and taken part in bike rides, bake offs, marathons, treks, mountain climbing, and have clocked up hundreds of hours in volunteering. The largest fundraising push was the UK Property Industry Bike Ride, where more than 700 CBRE staff and clients raised over £40,000 for the charity.

Campbell Robb, Shelter’s Chief Executive, said:

“We’re thrilled that the CBRE and their employees have dedicated so much time and energy to raise these vital funds for Shelter. As housing costs continue to soar, it’s never been more important for us to be there for families struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Every penny raised by CBRE, now and in the future, will help us continue to be there so that no-one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.”

Ciaran Bird, UK Managing Director, CBRE commented:

“Following an employee vote, this was the first time we appointed a specific UK-wide charity partner. It gives us an opportunity to have a major impact working as one team towards a common cause. It’s a powerful example of how the property sector can make a huge difference, particularly for those who cannot access decent, good quality housing – something our industry has an important role to help change and many of us might take for granted.

We’re proud to have hit our target of £250,000 already – not least because it means there is so much scope for what we will be able to achieve for Shelter throughout the duration of our partnership.”

One example of the people Shelter help is Brenda, a former lawyer and lecturer from Manchester. She lives with her two daughters and granddaughter, who were given an eviction notice after asking for repairs:

“I was forced to rent with my two daughters, aged 27 and 11, following a bitter battle with my ex-husband over our property in 2011.

“We moved into a beautiful cottage in Oldham, but it soon became clear there were issues with the property that went far beyond an aesthetic level. I had the cottage professionally cleaned before we moved in, because of the damp smell. However, this revealed the damp was an issue throughout, so I asked the agent to rectify the problem and it was decided the walls would be painted with damp-proofing paint. When work started, the ceiling fell down in the lounge – the landlord blamed me for having the wallpaper removed. I paid for most of the work, hoping it would be an end to it and my family could begin to enjoy life in our new home but the problems only worsened. Tiles fell off the wall, the bathroom walls were wet through when it rained and the window in my daughter’s room was dangerously loose. With two daughters – one of whom was pregnant – I didn’t feel my family was safe in our own home. After asking our landlord countless times to help fix the problems to no avail, my solicitor ended up writing on my behalf. The response was a section 21 eviction notice. We were given two months two leave, and a slew of hurtful claims from our landlord. I was so upset I couldn’t speak.

“It was at this point I contacted Shelter. They listened to me, and gave me the most fantastic support. An adviser called Kellie took on my case and advised I could fight a section 21 eviction notice. The judge was so impressed with the strong defence letter Shelter put forward on my behalf, that the case was dismissed, giving us more time to find a new home.

“Being evicted through no fault of your own is a frightening and humiliating experience that I never thought would happen to me. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without the support Shelter provided.”