Lawrence Kenwright, operator of the Shankly and 30 James Street hotels, wants to support the work of Liverpool’s Whitechapel Centre, a charity which last year helped nearly 3,000 people

Liverpool developer and hotel operator Signature Living is aiming to raise £250,000 to help homeless people in Liverpool.

Signature boss Lawrence Kenwright wants to support the work of Liverpool’s Whitechapel Centre, a charity which last year helped nearly 3,000 people.

Lawrence and his wife, Katie, began supporting the charity earlier this year after a meeting with charity bosses who told them about the dramatic increase in the number of people facing homelessness across the city region.

He will now spearhead a variety of major fundraising initiatives to reach the £250,000 target, including a high-profile charity ball in the autumn.

It is understood that he will also match whatever is raised through their charity initiatives.

Signature Living’s managing director Kris Mochrie said: “The work of the Whitechapel Centre has had a huge impact on Lawrence and Katie.

“They’ve been deeply moved by the heroic work this organisation is carrying out in Liverpool.

“The charity faces a daily challenge to help rough sleepers and families facing homelessness.

“They need to secure enough funding to survive, so we want to make that a little bit easier for them by raising this significant sum.”

Ruth McCaughley, fundraising manager at The Whitechapel Centre, added: “This promises to be a very exciting partnership with a range of fundraising activities taking place throughout the year at the various Signature Living venues.

“They have set a substantial fundraising target which will make a huge difference to our charity and mean that we can support more people who are facing homelessness in our city.”