Jollyes, the Pet Industry Federation’s 2023 retail chain of the year, today announced it had begun supplying and exchanging BillyChip in its UK stores.
Jollyes will become BillyChip’s first partner outside of the food and services sector to offer this innovative street currency.
Offering a safe and secure scheme for the homeless, buying and giving a BillyChip overcomes some of the concerns people have about giving to those who are homeless and offers choice to the person using it.
This ground-breaking partnership with the Bristol-based social enterprise will see Jollyes offer BillyChip in its 98 stores. Costing £2 BillyChip can then be exchanged for cans of dog food for those who are homeless and have a pet.
BillyChips can also be given by customers to homeless people so they can exchange them in participating cafes and restaurants to meet other basic needs, such as a hot drink or meal.
While customers can purchase BillyChip and donate themselves to those living on the streets, they will also be able to deposit it in a special box at the register.
Each quarter beginning in March 2024, BillyChip and Jollyes will donate dog food using both the value of the BillyChip tokens purchased by customers with Jollyes doubling the size of the donation.
BillyChip is rapidly growing beyond its South West base, with 500 outlets in the UK, and plans to take the scheme nationwide. The ability to deposit the BillyChip at the register, safely knowing it will help the homeless with pets, will be especially valuable in those areas where the social enterprise is still building its network of businesses that accept the street currency.
The BillyChip is currently accepted in over 500 outlets in Britain, allowing the homeless to exchange a chip to buy something simple that meets their basic needs such as a hot drink or sandwich.
The addition of Jollyes stores to the BillyChip network will bring almost 100 new locations on-stream, including for the first time, Northern Ireland.
Other BillyChip regional partners include Greggs and the Central Co-op.
While numbers are hard to assess, a recent survey[1] indicated since the pandemic as many as 320,000 people experienced homelessness with between 5-25pc being homeless with a pet.
In summer 2023 the University of Bristol shared new research data that showed the homeless and their dogs have a mutually beneficial relationship, with the dogs providing critical support for their owners’ emotional and mental health while owners make every effort to protect the dog and meet their welfare needs[2].
Commenting on partnership, Jon Hope, Co-Founder of BillyChip said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with the Jollyes team, and providing support for those with a pet who are homeless or sleeping rough.
“Our aim is to ensure that BillyChip is available in every area of the UK, and partnering with Jollyes is a fantastic step in reaching those in need to offer compassion, connection and choice.
“We can’t wait to see Jollyes customers part of the BillyChip family and making a difference for those in our communities who need help and support.”
Jollyes chief executive officer Joe Wykes said: “We know from the donations our customers and colleagues already make to local charities, our customers are incredibly generous – pet owners will go out of their way to support other pets that need some of the love they bring to their own animals.
“That’s why we’re excited about this partnership with BillyChip – we know our customers and colleagues will understand the importance of supporting those living on the streets – and especially the animals in their care.
“And I know our store teams will work hard to share the BillyChip story and the importance of their work with customers over the months ahead.”
