Helping the homeless takes many forms. Take The Booth Centre in Manchester for instance. This drop-in and activity centre for homeless people with alcohol problems found that a new by-law banning drinking on the streets - which included the steps of The Booth Centre - was driving many of its clients further into social exclusion.

The solution?

An off-street 'wet' garden where drinkers would be free from harassment and where they could receive some measure of help and treatment. But how to achieve this with the Centre's limited resources?

Enter CRASH.

CRASH is the construction and property industries' charity for homeless people. It draws on the industries' resources - materials, skills, labour - to give voluntary groups practical assistance with building projects.

Hearing of The Booth Centre's dilemma, CRASH agreed to manage the 'wet' garden project and with the help of CRASH supporters John Laing, Travis Perkins, Nullifire, Castle Nails and Builders Merchants Federation Millennium Appeal, saw it through to a successful completion.

Amanda Croome of The Booth Centre says the results have been remarkable: 'Many of our clients take great pride in the 'wet' garden and enjoy choosing plants, planting bulbs and pruning. Best of all, many of the street drinkers who helped build the garden got a taste for practical outdoor work and are now working as conservation volunteers transforming local woodland.'

CRASH really does make a difference. To find out how you can help by contributing time, materials, skills or money, please contact us on telephone: 020 8742 0717; fax: 020 8747 3154; e-mail: crash@crash.org.uk; web: www.crash.org.uk