Homeless artist’s design and sell cards this Valentines Day

By Rhiannon Du Cann 

A charity is raising money selling homemade Valentine’s Day cards painted by homeless artists.

The Barons Court Project’s (BCP) Home(less) Made social enterprise initiative was started last summer selling greeting cards designed by homeless people who then receive 50 percent of the profits.

The Valentine’s Day cards were designed by Guan Chow, 61, who was homeless from 2014 to 2017.

Chow said: “I wanted to give back to the community. I’m trying to do something meaningful.

“Life is full of love and joy and it doesn’t matter who you love, the love should be celebrated.”

Chow designs cards at BCP and also volunteers at another homeless charity, Rhythms of Life, sorting food donations and handing out hot food to the homeless in central London.

He said: “I can understand where they are coming from because I was struggling and desperate. You feel helpless.”

Chow is from Malaysia but has lived in London for over 30 years. He worked in retail management but was made redundant during the 2008 recession.

Chow found himself homeless and suffering from depression and anxiety in 2014.

He said: “I lost my job, I lost my home, I lost everything.

“I had a severe breakdown and was placed into a crisis house many times to try and recover. I couldn’t get back to normal life after that. That was a very bad time for me then.”

Chow went to the Barons Court Project for help.

He said: “I’m so appreciative of what they have done for me.”

BCP, started in 2014, is a drop in centre for people who are homeless, on low incomes or living with mental health issues.

It provides food, practical facilities and activities such as IT, drama, art and Bingo sessions.

There were 4,227 rough sleepers in London from April to June 2020, a 63 percent increase from 2018, according to the London Assembly Housing Committee.

BCP first started selling handmade greeting cards painted by Chow in 2018 at fundraisers.

Chow began painting at BCP in 2015, initially using dark colours which reflected how he felt.

He said: “But one day, I said life should be about joy and I started using colourful paints which changed my mood. Sometimes I don’t care what I paint because I am painting my feelings.”

BCP’s Home(less) Made has raised over £3,000 for homeless artists so far.

But Chow said the most important thing to him is the painting and he hopes to inspire others at BCP to start painting too.

He said: “It doesn’t need to be a masterpiece. When you paint you don’t have to be Picasso, anything you paint is unique, there is only one in the world. You can have fun and should just enjoy it!”

The Valentine’s Day cards can be bought on the Home(less) Made website for £4 and can be found here: https://www.baronscourtproject.org/homelessmade/