Konica Minolta partners with The Aimar Foundation

Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) has collaborated with The Aimar Foundation to take part in Crisis at Christmas initiative opening its doors to the homeless.

For a second successive year, Konica Minolta’s multifunction devices and PaperCut print management software will be installed at hotels and day center sites across London, providing those in need with access to vital information and documentation to help them take the first step out of homelessness.

Crisis, the national charity for homeless people, estimated that by the end of 2021, 227,000 households across Britain were experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, including rough sleeping, living in sheds, garages and other unconventional buildings, sofa surfing, hostels and unsuitable temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.

Every year, Crisis at Christmas opens its doors to people who are homeless, offering much-needed warmth, healthcare, food and company at sites throughout London. From skills training to help with employment, people get the support they need so that they can leave homelessness and find a safe and secure home.

Since 2008, the Aimar Foundation has been supporting Crisis at Christmas, providing technology infrastructure to hotels and schools/academies in support of the vital work being done by Crisis and its volunteers during December and early January. As a result, the foundation has been able to help hundreds of people to look for jobs, connect with loved ones, and access self-help tools through the technology provided as part of the campaign. 

‘For some people who use the hotels and visit the centers throughout Christmas, their email address is the only address they have,’ commented CEO of The Aimar Foundation, Simon Clark. ‘Being able to print, scan and email documents is something we take for granted but without access to a device, it can be a real barrier to taking the steps needed to significantly improve a person’s circumstances and opportunities. Konica Minolta provides these people and Crisis volunteers with everything they need for this.’

For The Aimar Foundation, the speed with which they need to set up at Crisis locations (just one to two days) across London, means the reliability of the technology they use is paramount.

‘Since being recommended to us, Konica Minolta has become an integral part of an eco-system of carefully selected technology providers that we have established. They are entrusted to deliver enterprise-scale solutions, so we know we can rely on them to perform for us,’ added Clark.

Jason Barnes, head of public sector at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK), commented: ‘This is the second successive year that we have worked with The Aimar Foundation and the fantastic work it does for Crisis at Christmas. We are immensely proud to have been chosen once again to have a role in helping people out of homelessness.’